Moscow Moscow
by Esquinzo
Summary: What if Jenny and Gibbs had met again in Russia almost two years after Paris? Slightly AU.
1. Chapter 1

Moscow, Moscow

A/N: So here it is guys, my new story. I had this one in mind for quite some time now and while I initially just mused about one scene I had in mind, I slowly realized that this couldn't be a one-shot. There's too much to explain.

That said, I started to think up a background story, something that would lead without a doubt to my key scene of this piece which you will read in chapter five (the last one).

The chapter titles are lines of a semi-popular German drinking song and NO offense to Russians. The idea came to a few of my friends and me at the birthday party of a good fried of mine, alcohol (Russian wodka [I know that English people and probably American too write it _vodka_ but as the writing on our bottle said _wodka_ I decided to adopt that]) might have been involved. So anyway, I hope you enjoy reading this.

* * *

><p>Chapter one: Moskau, Moskau<p>

Moscow, December 2001

He sat at his desk, staring at the orange walls of the bull pen over the screen of his computer, silently wondering why NCIS painted all the squad rooms of all field offices around the world in this ugly shade of orange. As he had gotten the news he would work for the Moscow Field Office for the next year or two he had thought it was his ticket to get away from this but here he was, staring at the very same shade, musing about the very same problems as he always had.

He looked at his wrist watch, it was half past eight. He was avoiding home, he knew it, his wife knew it, his co-workers knew it. The honeymoon phase of his marriage, if there had ever been one, was long over, the feelings as cold as the Russian winter around them. She was a rebound, a desperate act to fill the hole _she _had left and yet his wife had no idea who exactly she was a rebound for. Since she had found out about them, she suspected it to be Shannon and Kelly though.

His head hurt, because of the paint or his thoughts, he couldn't say. He found himself wishing for another woman when he came home, for another laughter when he attempted humor, for another face to wake up to when he opened his eyes in the morning. _Hell_, he wished for another city and another year.

Stephanie hated the cold, hated the language she didn't understand, hated the job that tore her marriage apart, hated whole fucking Russia in fact.

Gibbs loved the cold, loved the language he had learnt with another red-head at his side, loved the job that gave him an excuse to procrastinate going home, loved Russia that saved him from Washington head quarters where he'd had to look at _her _desk all the time.

Stephanie had been hinting she wanted a new coat for the cold evenings all the time before her birthday last month but he couldn't bring himself to buy one for someone other than _her_. He had given her jewelry instead, something that didn't have a meaning to him and didn't have to her. She had smiled when he had given her the posh gift box, her usually friendly smile, but in her eyes had glistened the disappointment. He had felt like a jerk, using her to try to move on and failing her and himself every day. He wished she would just act out for once, insulting him, giving him a piece of her mind, but instead all he got was her ever friendly smile and her pity. He couldn't bear it any longer.

He cradled his head in his hands, massaging his temples, as the harsh sound of a phone ringing cut the heavy silence. He needed a few seconds to understand it was his, another two to look at the caller ID and then about seven more to contemplate if he should answer.

"Gibbs."

_"__You're coming home anytime soon?"_

"Yeah. Just closed my case. See you."

He hung up. Time to go home.

* * *

><p>The smell of freshly brewed coffee washed over his senses, reminding Gibbs it was time to get up. Stephanie had gotten up about five minutes before with the first ringing of his alarm clock. He grabbed a shirt and put it on, then he patted down the stairs to the kitchen. They lived in a rather luxurious two-floor apartment in Moscow downtown, in a high-end neighborhood with many international tenants, her only friends in town. At the beginning she had tried to learn Russian, a language her husband claimed was easy to learn, but had soon given up, frustrated, and talked only to neighbors that were able to speak and understand English.<p>

He glanced into the living room, noticed the three glasses on the table _had she had company the night before?_ as he headed down the hallway to the kitchen. Stephanie sat at the table, her hands in her hair as she tried to solve a crossword riddle.

"Morning." Gibbs mumbled as he pressed a kiss to her temple. "You good?"

She looked up surprised. Mornings when he spoke to her before he had his fix of coffee were rare, mornings when he was actually interested in her well-being even rarer.

"Lucy was over yesterday evening. She brought Agathe along, she is new in the neighborhood. She is French, but her English is quite good, and even when she had troubles finding the right words and spoke French, it wasn't too bad. I haven't spoken it in ages, but I can still understand it _au moins un peu. _Anyway, our evening was quite nice till we decided to celebrate her arrival with a bottle of Merlot and then a second and a third and now I am slightly hung-over."

She rambled. He grunted. Obviously he wasn't as much in a talking mode as she had initially thought. Stephanie observed him attentively as he proceed his daily morning routine.

"How was your day honey? I'm sorry we didn't get to talking last night." _Honey._ He hated clichés. Nevertheless Gibbs decided to answer. He didn't have to royally piss off his wife at half past six in the morning.

"Good. Closed the case late afternoon. Did paperwork till I came home. Morrow called, announced I'd get to meet my new partner today. Scared the other guy off." Monosyllabic like always. She nodded. "I'll meet Agathe again around noon, if you need anything call my cell."

He just nodded, didn't acknowledge in any other way he'd heard her, let alone would actually call her.

Not that that was something new, but meanwhile it started to get to her.

* * *

><p>When she arrived in Russia the previous week she had wanted to catch the first flight back to Rota, Spain. What had she done to deserve to be send to Russia in WINTER? She had caught a bloody cold before she had even arrived at her apartment and was sick of her new place five minutes after as she discovered exactly how furnished her <em>furnished <em>accommodation was. She had never seen anything with less furniture in it than her new apartment. She called her Senior Field Agent back in Rota, a middle-aged man called Henry Miller, who she had become great friends with. He hadn't envied her her position as team leader and she had respected his opinions. He _had_ had more experience than she even if she had had more seniority and at that time she had needed every piece of advice she could get.

Today was the day she would start working at NCIS field office in Moscow as the partner of some guy who she supposedly knew, at least that was what the director had told her. She had actually smirked at this.

"Tom," she had said, laughter in her voice, "I think you know I know a lot of guys."

He hadn't mind her using his first name, he and Jennifer Shepard went way back, he had been a good friend of her mother's and had known her since kindergarten.

"I am well aware, although I think I know only half of the _guys_ you know."

"That may be, but I am very interested in knowing who I will be working with for the following six month."

"Have a little patience. I think you'll like him." He grinned as he cut the transmission, having no idea exactly how much his protegé had _liked_ her future partner in the past.

* * *

><p>Gibbs got the call that would change his life once again mid-morning. Callie, the ever cherish assistant of the Assistant Director, the head of the Moscow Field Office, announced that he could meet his new partner in the office of her boss now. And that pissed him off. Couldn't this new partner just present himself to him without the help of the man in the monkey suit sitting in the corner office? He didn't like McAllister one bit, thought he was a bastard in fact, at least that was how he treated his subordinates.<p>

Gibbs walked up the stairs, taking his time, just to piss him off, and then instead of letting Callie announce him, burst straight into the posh office, slamming the door against the wall.

He stopped dead in his tracks. The red-head in front of McAllister's desk wore a facial expression similar to his own, uncertainty, anguish, bewilderment, and maybe the barest hint of long lost emotions.

The woman he had loved. The woman who had left. Ironically he found himself angry at McAllister for staring at her like she was some piece of meat.

"Gibbs, this is Jennifer Shepard, your new partner. I believe the two of you have already met before." McAllister did the introductions, his gaze never straying from Jenny.

"Jethro." Her voice had an edge in it he couldn't explain. It was almost shaky, something he had never heard before. It made him angry. So she was uncertain, afraid, didn't know what to do? She felt the same way he had as he had found the letter in the pocket of her coat? It made him want to enjoy her distress, her obvious hurting, but again he was surprised by himself as he discovered he couldn't. He couldn't enjoy her pain, just as he hadn't been able to hate her when he had come back to Washington without her. He didn't want her to hurt like he had hurt himself.

Instead he felt for her.

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><p>He had ignored her mercilessly ever since they had left McAllister's office. He hadn't returned her greeting, hadn't said anything to her in fact and although Jenny hated to admit it, it started to get to her. She knew it wasn't her place to break the silence as he was just as uncomfortable and miserable as she was, but it wasn't his fault, it was hers, and if he needed time to wrap his head around the fact that they would have to work together once again, who was she to deny him that?<p>

Gibbs pointed gruffly at the desk opposite to his own, the other ones were obviously unoccupied. They were a two-men-team then.

It remembered Jenny of her early days in Washington DC, back at the Navy Yard, where she had sat opposite two him. Burley and Pacci hadn't been on their team back then, and she had enjoyed this time alone, when it had been just them, her and her partner. There hadn't been the usual boundaries between Junior and Senior Agent, they had been who they were, the way they were; always laughing, always toeing the border to outright flirting.

She sat down at her new desk and arranged her things, then re-arranged them, just to keep her hands occupied.

"Jenny" So it was _Jenny_ then, not as bad as _Shepard_ but not _Jen_ either.

"Yeah?"

"We have to talk." That was sooner than she had thought and she wasn't prepared for this,not yet at least. She could feel herself paling.

"Okay."

"Coffee?" Gibbs asked, it was somewhere between a question and a statement, but either way Jenny didn't feel like she had a choice. She nodded and took her coat. Not _her_ coat, but something similar he noticed, dark brown Italian leather, and he wondered if she missed her coat. He still had it, couldn't get rid of it, he had taken it with him to Moscow in fact. The reminder of the life, the love, he couldn't have.

Gibbs went to the elevator, in a stoic silence again, and Jenny followed, just as quietly as him.

She didn't think she could bear this any longer.

* * *

><p>"So how have you been?" Jenny asked. They sat in a crowded little coffee shop near the office where he claimed you could get Moscow's best coffee. He had chosen the seat near the door from where he could observe the people coming into the shop.<p>

Gibbs looked at her. She had a genuinely curious glint in her eyes that meant she didn't know the answer. Jenny didn't know he was married. He contemplated shortly if he should just throw caution in the wind, not tell her about his marriage and look what would happen. He dismissed it, it was a cruel to Stephanie as well as to her.

"Have married again." He told her gruffly, unprepared for the hurt expression in her eyes.

"Oh. Congratulations." She gripped her coffee cup a little tighter. "When?"

"About a year and a half ago." He answered and now he was almost shocked at the wounded look in the depths of her emerald-green orbs.

_Just about half a year after Paris _she thought. "Maybe I can meet her someday" she said instead.

"I think she would like that" he replied. He couldn't even imagine that. His current wife meeting the former lover she was a rebound for while said lover probably hated the woman he had married just seven months after they had broken up - after they had been together for almost three years.

"What is her name? What does she look like?" Jenny asked in an attempt to break the awkward silence that had settled upon them. That it was, awkward and bitter, because he pretended to have moved on while she hadn't.

"Stephanie." It didn't feel right to talk about her, he didn't want her there where it could have been just him and Jenny and their own past, where they maybe could have learnt how to be friends again. "Redhead too." He didn't say anything else and she didn't push him. _She didn't want further information on his wife_, fate was cruel enough how it was, she didn't have to burden herself with his marriage too.

"What about you?" He asked, it was his turn now, as if they were playing twenty questions.

"Still not married if that is what you want to know." She answered and Gibbs had to admire her nerve to put humour into this at best unpleasant conversation. "I was stationed in Florence for the first few months," the _after Paris _unspoken in the air between them "then I spent about one and a half-year in Rota, Spain."

He looked at her thoughtfully, and for a first didn't know what to say or do.

"I think we should go, coffee's getting cold." He said eventually and Jenny nodded, agreeing.

She just wanted to run. _Again._

* * *

><p>He felt numb for the rest of the day, he felt numb as he came home to the wife in whose sheets he'd made his bed. His mind was clouded with the image of her red her, with the smell of her Parisian perfume, with the hurt look in her big green eyes. It haunted him, the expression in them, it was just something he couldn't explain. He had never seen Jenny looking so wounded, so fragile and vulnerable. There had been pain in them, pain and anguish, and she had seemed as if she had been beating up herself over something, over <em>them<em>, for a long time now.

Gibbs stumbled through the hallway of his apartment, trying his best to ignore the laughter he heard from the living room. There were different voices, one of them with a french accent which he suspected belonged to Stephanie's new friend whose name he couldn't remember. He creeped along the wall, slowly inching towards the staircase which would bring him to the sanctuary of his bedroom as-

"Leroy? That's you?" Stephanie called. "He can be a bit anti-social at times" she added in a conspiratorical whisper to her friends. Collective giggling followed her statement and he wished himself back to Washington for the first time in a very long time. At least there he'd had a basement and a boat to retreat to whenever one of his former wives had had company.

"Evening." He grumbled in their general direction, already about to turn around again-

"Leroy honey, that's Agathe, she's new in the neighborhood. Remember, I told you about her this morning." -just to be dragged into the room by a chattering Stephanie. "Leroy spend a few months in France. Where have you been again?"

"Marseille. Paris. Spent some time in Rennes too." Gibbs called her gruffly. Whose evil plan was it to keep Jenny at the forefront of his mind? He came home to forget her for a few hours, provided that was even possible, not to think of her all the time.

"Parlez-vous français?" A tall blonde woman asked, Agathe he presumed.

"Had my partner for that. She's pretty good at languages."

"_She_? You've never told me your partner was a woman Leroy? How come I never met her?" _Shit._

"She's been stationed somewhere in Europe since our op in Paris ended." He said with an air of finality, daring his wife to ask something else.

"How romantic. Two partners in the city of love. I've been to Paris so many times, I just love it." And then and there Gibbs decided he couldn't stand that Agathe-gal already.

"So who's your new partner Leroy? He's nice?" Stephanie spoke up again as she rested her hand on his forearm.

He nodded curtly. "Has been stationed in Spain before Morrow partnered us up." Gibbs looked her in the eyes, his stare hard, and hoped she wouldn't catch up on him avoiding the topic of his partners gender.

"Lucky guy. I bet it has been quite the change for him. The cold winter here and all." She shrugged her shoulders as to put the topic off.

"Yeah. I'm going upstairs, catching a few Zs. Have to go to work again later." He spun around and stormed off, not caring what they thought about him.

Stephanie turned back to her friends and Gibbs wondered how long it would take her to find out about Jenny.

And how long it would take her to find out about _Jenny and him._

* * *

><p>Jenny had spent the last few hours at her desk pretending to do some paperwork while she was trying to figure out how she would handle being Gibbs' partner again. She heard the tell-tale <em>bing<em> of the elevator announcing a second presence in the bull-pen and she buried herself in files, hoping she would look busy enough for whoever it was to let her alone.

"What are you doing here Jenny?" His gruff baritone right next to her ear made her jump. She didn't hear him coming.

"I swear Jethro, one of those days you'll give me a heart attack. Quit sneaking up on me!" She laughed nervously to cover up her shock. He grinned at her, his typical half smirk and she couldn't help but think how sexy that looked.

"Well that would be a pity, wouldn't it Jen?" _Jen._ The relief she felt because of him using his nickname for her again was almost ridiculous. It was affectionate, and if she was honest, she hadn't had affectionate since she left him. One night-stands yes, one or two short flings too, but nothing like the affair, the _relationship_, they had had. It hadn't been _real _with the men after him, she hadn't felt anything at all for them.

She lifted an eyebrow at him, shot him a smirk of her own. "The new guy would be your eighth partner in what, three months? Want to give Morrow and McAllister a coronary too?" She laughed at his dumbfounded expression.

"Didn't think Tom would tell me, did you? I called him about an hour ago and he didn't quit complaining about you getting rid of your partners for almost fifteen minutes. What did you do to them?" She explained, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Expected too much." He said, his serious tone sobering her instantly. "They weren't you." He added so softly, she almost thought she imagined it.

"Jethro..." She trailed off not knowing what to say.

"Now's as good a time as ever to read the files for our new op, don't you think?" Gibbs went on, brushing his comment off roughly, leaving Jenny wondering if he meant what he'd said. She just nodded and motioned for him to go on.

"So what's the situation?" She asked, propping her legs up on her desk. His gaze drifted to her legs and from there to her breasts for a brief moment before it settled on her eyes again.

"We will infiltrate the Russian High Society. We got intel a few weeks ago that a few rich young guys earn their money with human trafficking, a few of them also deal with drugs. NCIS got involved when the dependants of a Marine stationed in Poland were abducted, they were found again in a brothel in Siberia. The wife said one of their captors told her at one point he worked for a business man in Moscow."

He shot her a sideways glance, noticing how she played with a few strands of curly red hair that kept falling into her face. It was the very same movement she had done in Paris when she had been listening to somebody, a sure sign she was highly focused.

"Do we know who it is? Did she got a name out of him?" She asked, her eyes boring into his.

He held the intense eye contact for a few seconds before he looked at the file in front of him again.

"We had a team investigating a few months ago, they came up with three names; Iwan Pawlow, Alexej Popow, and Dmitrij Sokolow."

Jenny nodded. "What's our job?"

"They make their deals at political functions and parties for the rich and popular. They will send us in undercover, I'm posing as a potential buyer." Gibbs said.

"What about me?" She asked fearing his answer as an amused smirk appeared on his face. "You know what, I don't want to know anymore." She said hastily.

"You sure Jen? Wouldn't want you to go in there unprepared."

"Just get it over and done with already." She sighed exasperated.

"Like I said, I'm a potential buyer and you will be my trophy girlfriend." His grin sent her flying over the edge.

"No!" She shouted, not sure if she should laugh or cry. "Jethro!"

"Jen?" He gave right back, still grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"At least I'm not your wife this time around." Jenny mumbled, burying her head in her hands.

"Our day may come..." Gibbs said, now laughing. She hit him playfully, secretly enjoying their banter.

"So, what about our personas?"

"We were both born in the US, we met at a party in New York one year ago. Your name is Grace Morgan Masson, your mother was Irish, that's where your middle name comes from, your father a Frenchman. They died in a car crash eight years ago, when you were twenty. Your mother was a doctor, your father a politician."

"And what about my handsome boyfriend?" She blushed as soon as the words left her mouth. The playful atmosphere had made her forget that they weren't lovers anymore, that this wasn't Paris.

Thankfully he played along, leaving the awkwardness without a chance. "Who's the trophy now, you or me?"

She just laughed in lieu of saying something, she didn't really know what to say anyways.

"I'm John Walters, an Ex-Marine. My family has a long military history, we are well-known and respected. My mother died when I was young, I was eight when she passed away because of cancer. My father died in combat a few years ago, we both are only childs so there aren't any relatives they could look into."

"Minimizes the risk. What's our task?" Jenny nodded, more to herself than to him. She didn't know if she was comfortable with playing his lover so soon again, when the hurting outcome of the last time was still so fresh in her mind.

"We just get the intel, in and out. We try to keep our personas intact, Morrow isn't sure if we will need them again some day. We will have a back up team to make the arrests, maybe we will be arrested to at some point to maintain our credibility."

"There won't be anybody to bail you out this time around when we are locked away together." She said, remembering the last time he had been in jail clearly.

He just shrugged, then smirked. "Maybe Ducky will return the favour and commandeer a boat to save us."

She laughed. "Not sure if he has the same knowledge about boats as me. You taught me quite a lot about them."

Gibbs grinned, remembering vividly what those lessons contained. "You after a repeat performance?"

"You have a basement with a boat in it in Moscow? And here I thought it was a special thing, uniquely DC." She mocked him.

"I wish, Stephanie would have long gotten a coronary if I had." He could have hit himself for the last comment. Why had he invited his wife into this conversation? He could practically feel the atmosphere shifting.

"I should probably go, catch up on a bit of sleep." Jenny said, obviously uncomfortable. "You should too, your wife will worry." She smiled sadly as she went past him, stopping just for a millisecond, unsure what to do.

He reached out with his hand, but stopped halfway, as uncertain as she was.

"Good night Jethro" she murmured softly, touching his hand briefly.

"Night Jen" he whispered as his gaze lingered on her retreating form till the doors of the elevator closed.

* * *

><p>Stephanie Gibbs wasn't ignorant and sure as hell she wasn't stupid. She had picked up on her husband's unusual gruff demeanor, even by his standards, the day before and on how touchy he had been when asked about his <em>partner<em>. Maybe he was rubbing of on her, but her _gut _told her that there was more to the story, that there was more about _them_, and she was determined to find out what it was.

Her friends had arranged to meet for an early lunch today in a little bistro in the heart of Moscow where the Russian high society frequented usually. She didn't know what had gotten her into her, but the she felt just a little bit anxious to meet some of them. She had never had any qualms about meeting any American celebrities, after all she came from a rich and well-known family, and had been used to be around them since she was a small child. But Agathe's childhood friends from the years she had spent in Russia were a different matter entirely, they were more powerful and had greater influence than her family had ever had.

She hummed quietly along some random melody playing on the radio to calm herself down a bit as she heard her husband coming down the stairs. Stephanie turned around to greet him but as usual he went straight to the coffee maker. Asking about her well-being two days in a row was obviously too much for him.

"Good morning Leroy" she said pointedly as she continued to lay the table. Gibbs grumbled something incomprehensible, it was way too early to even think about having a normal conversation with his wife, never mind one bordering on a passive-aggressive discussion.

"I hope you had a good evening after you left yesterday. Yeah, well in fact mine was just fine, we had lots of fun, thanks for asking." She spat not really knowing what came over her and by the look on his face he didn't either.

"You okay?" He asked looking her in the eyes for the first time that morning. She just shrugged, she couldn't even explain herself.

"Just tired I suppose. Yesterday was exhausting." She mumbled, turning away from him. "Scratch that, this whole week was exhausting. It's just..." Stephanie trailed off, obviously trying hard to order her thoughts.

"This is Russia, Leroy. This is the Russian winter. I miss home, I miss DC, I miss people speaking my mother tongue all around me. And you aren't helping matters at all. You are just at work, and when you aren't over at NCIS, you are kinda mentally absent." She looked lost, having shot her bolt. Gibbs found it hard to believe that just two days ago he had wished for her to finally act out and now he found himself hoping she wouldn't ever do so again.

He sighed; absentminded, that he was, just that recently the reason of it had come a hell of a lot closer to him. He put his hand on her shoulder.

"I'll try." He promised her gruffly and already knew at the moment he said it that it was futile.

* * *

><p>As Gibbs came into work that morning, he saw his redheaded partner already sitting at her desk. Her eyes were halfway closed, she was leaning back against the backrest of her chair. She looked relaxed, almost as if she was sleeping, but he knew better than that. She was probably listening in to one of the conversations going on around her without wanting to be spotted.<p>

Well either way, the fun was over now. At least for her.

"Shepard!" He barked, making her shriek in surprise.

"Jesus Gibbs, I didn't think you were serious about giving me a heart attack." She said, still a little jumpy. He could hear the snickering around him and fixed the agents surrounding them with a good glare.

"You tired Jen?" He asked softly, letting their heads shot up again. Jethro Gibbs wasn't known for caring about his probies' conditions.

"It's too cold here. I was freezing my ass off sleeping so I got up at four in the morning, way too early. I was in at six." She grumbled, her eyes being almost closed once again.

"Fancy going out for coffee? It's on me?"

"You know a shop around that makes a semi-decent cup of Jamaican blend?" Jenny asked eagerly, and he had to bit back a smirk at her expression. She looked like a child at Christmas morning, with him being Santa who stayed behind by some accident.

"Sure do. Come on." He nudged her up and helped her with her coat before leading her to the elevator, quite a few pairs of eyes following them.

* * *

><p>It was about ten in the morning as Agathe Ganiole entered her usual coffee shop. She had done most of her Christmas shopping for the last two hours, now she just had to attend an appointment with her hair stylist before she would meet up with her friends at the restaurant around the corner.<p>

It was a cozy little place, not too crowded usually, and the coffee was excellent. It remembered her of her homeland. Even if she had spent a fair amount of her childhood in Russia, France was where she felt at home. She paid for her _café au lait_ and took a sip of the scolding hot liquid, letting it warm her. She turned around and was about to exit the shop when she saw a head of silvery hair just a few feet away from her. And a particular handsome one at that. She had a nagging voice in her head, telling her that she knew him, but she couldn't quite pinpoint who he was just now.

He sat with his back to her, his shoulders stiff, a cup of coffee in front of him, a young redhead across from him. They seemed to be familiar with one another, there was something about the way they were talking with each other, about the way he touched her hands on the table when she lent her head back laughing.

It was a strange scene to look at, she was all relaxed, enjoying herself and his company, and while she could tell he was enjoying being there with her too, there was an edge about him, he was too tense.

He turned his head, trailing his eyes all over the room, and the moment Agathe saw his cobalt blue eyes, she just _knew_ who he was, without a doubt. And she knew the redhead opposite to him _wasn't _Stephanie.

A small smile grazed her features. She didn't know what to make out of the discovery just yet, but she was certain she would find out. She would let them squirm, both of them, just for a little while.

* * *

><p>It had been a good morning for Stephanie Gibbs, at least it had been after her husband had left their apartment. He had been tense, and while she had tried to calm herself down, he had been just poison for her nerves.<p>

She opened the heavy oak door of the restaurant, it was a classy one, with a red curtain just behind the entrance to keep the cold Russian winter air from coming in. She gave her coat to one of the waiters and looked around the room, trying to find her friend. She spotted the large table in the rear part of the room a few seconds after and strode confidently toward it. More confidently than she felt.

"Agathe." She greeted, giving her new friends the typical french _bises_ on each cheek.

"Stephanie. It's so nice you could make it. Those are Anastasia, Irina and Julia." She said, pointing at the three already seated women.

Stephanie nodded. "Pleasure to meet you." She said as she extended her hand for them to shake.

"It's a pleasure to meet _you_" a petite blonde, Julia, said as she took her hand. "Agathe's told us so much about you."

Stephanie blushed and giggled a little nervously. "Only the best I hope?"

"No reason to be nervous" Anastasia piped up, brushing a few strands of brunette hair out of her face. Her accent was much heavier as Julia's, but her eyes were kind and Stephanie took an instinctive liking to her.

"So, tell me my friend, what brings you to Moscow?" Julia asked, making the third woman, Irina, look at her curiously.

"My husband was offered a promotion over here. He works for the government." She explained, not sure how much she was allowed to tell them about Leroy's job.

"Mine is a politician too. Maybe we'll see each other at one of those boring functions one day, making it a little less boring, what do you think?" Julia laughed and sent her a mischievous grin.

"I think I'd like that." Stephanie gave back, glad that those 'celebrities' how Agathe had announced them, were a good bit more normal than she'd originally thought. The conversation carried on nicely over their meal, and she found herself enjoying her lunch. She had fun, was laughing a lot, and so did the others beside Agathe who seemed to be deep in thought.

"Are you alright?" She asked when she embraced the other woman lightly as she said good-bye.

Agathe looked at her and nodded. "Yes, I'm alright, I've just seen something _odd_ at the coffee shop." She said, brushing off the question and giving Stephanie the first smile for that day.

It didn't reach her eyes.

* * *

><p>So, that's as good a point as ever to stop and before this is getting to long, I'll end the chapter here. I hope you enjoyed reading. Please leave a review, I'd love to know what you think!<p>

Updates may take a while, I have a lot going on lately.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: This went down faster than I thought. Thanks a lot to all those who reviewed or set this story on alert, it really means a lot. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter as much as the first.

As usual I forgot say I don't own anything when I updated the first chapter, so here it is.

**Disclaimer: -I don't own anything besides Agathe- (don't know if that's a positive thing though xD)**

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><p>Chapter two: Russland ist ein schönes Land<p>

Jethro Gibbs was nervous as he sat down across from his redheaded partner at the table inside the local coffee shop. He felt as though someone was observing him, was studying his every move, and not just his, Jenny's too.

He felt uneasy, could almost relate to all the suspects that broke before the interrogation even started, just because they _knew_ they were observed by someone behind the one-way mirror. By someone they didn't know, by someone lurking in the shadows.

He tried to not let it get to him, to let himself simply enjoy Jenny's company, and after a while it worked. Although the tingling feeling in his gut was still there.

"You okay Jethro? You are a little pale."

"Speak for yourself red." He answered, inwardly laughing at the murderous glare she sent his way. Yes, he had taught her all he knew, even his famous glare.

"Nobody's had the guts to call me 'red' since Stan Burley." Jenny gave back, stoically trying to keep a straight face but failing miserably at keeping the smile tugging on her lips at bay.

"Good ol' Steve" Gibbs commented dryly, and she threw her head back, laughing loudly. His gaze strayed the column of her neck, the hollow of her throat, her collarbone exposed by the low-cut blouse she wore. The urge to touch her was overwhelming, to test for himself if her skin was still as soft as he remembered, if she still tasted the same, like vanilla and cinnamon.

He took her hand in his carefully, tracing the lines in her palm softly with his pointer finger.

Jenny's breathing hitched for a moment, and she looked at him with just the barest hint of insecurity in her eyes. She didn't pull her hand away.

"It's good to see you again Jethro." She said, sincerely, honestly, because she meant exactly what she'd said.

"I've missed you Jen." He murmured back, and to her, it sounded just a little bit harshly, as if he hated himself at this moment, for confessing a little weakness.

It was bittersweet.

Jenny looked in his eyes, and saw what she'd always seen. Longing, passion, attraction, and a hint of something else, of underlying, leering emotions. It was so strong, the bond between them, that it physically hurt her to say what she had to say, in order to protect them both. In order to protect the third party involved.

"You are married Jethro."

Gibbs nodded, the uneasy feeling in his gut increasing. He didn't know if it was because of what she'd said, or because there was really someone watching them. It gave him an excuse to turn around however, but there wasn't anything suspicious. A tall, blonde woman was looking over to them, or maybe out of the window behind them. She seemed vaguely familiar, but he couldn't determine where he knew her from.

He picked up Jenny's hand and pressed a light kiss to her wrist, then another one to her palm.

"I know Jen, I know. I'm sorry."

* * *

><p>He felt almost suffocated as he came home that evening. It wasn't long till Christmas anymore, and Stephanie insisted on decorating their apartment this year. The happy atmosphere around him was poison for his soul, even more so now that he knew that he wasn't going to spend the holiday with the person he wanted to.<p>

"Leroy, that's you?" Stephanie called turning the music down. She went on humming happily to himself, a melody he recognized as Nancy Wilson's _That's What I Want For Christmas_. Typically. He wondered if she was aware of the ironic situation they found themselves in.

"Yeah."

"How was your day?" He grumbled something she couldn't quite catch, probably because she'd turned the music up again.

"You?" She heard him ask.

"Well, I met up with Agathe for lunch, and a few of her friends, Irina, Anastasia, and Julia; afterwards I was shopping for about three hours, mostly Christmas shopping. I can't believe they don't do Black Friday Shopping over here. Anyways I really enjoyed myself. We want to meet up again soon, maybe with our husbands next time. Of course I know you can't promise anything, with you work schedule at least. What do you think Leroy?"

Stephanie turned around, her eyes sparkling, she was clearly looking forward to this.

The sparkle died though as she discovered her husband wasn't standing behind her any longer.

* * *

><p>He lay on his bed, on the bed he shared with his wife, and couldn't stop thinking about <em>her.<em> About the sexy, red mess of curls that would tumble down her back when she got up in the morning. About the green eyes, so extraordinaire as everything else about her.

But he was _married_, married to the wrong woman.

Gibbs decided to go down to Stephanie. It wouldn't hurt him to talk to her, to listen to her, to just fulfill a tiny bit of her needs.

She wasn't a bad person per say, he'd just met her at the wrong time. It was his fault that he had turned a perfectly fine friendship into something more without considering the risks it held. He didn't even know why he'd popped the question in the first place, it had been a spur of the moment proposal after only three months of dating.

He padded down the stairs.

"Steph? You okay?" Gibbs called, turning to the living room. He saw her sitting on the sofa, in a slumped-down position. "I've been just tired." He offered as an explanation. Stephanie looked up at him, nodding. She knew it was the only kind of an excuse she was going to get, she'd long given up hoping for a genuine "I'm sorry". She wasn't sure if he just didn't want to say it, to acknowledge that he'd been wrong, or if he just wasn't sorry when he hurt her, intentionally or not.

"Yeah, I'm exhausted too I guess." She hugged him tightly, burying her face in his chest. He put his arms around her uncomfortably, feeling guilty as hell because he wished Jenny at her place.

"It's just so much" she murmured. "Being away from family and friends, in a foreign country that's language I don't speak."

Stephanie straightened up after a few more moments, going towards the kitchen. "Do you fancy take-out tonight?"

"Call for whatever you want." Gibbs answered walking behind her.

They spent the evening on the couch, eating take-out. He had banned every thought of Jennifer Shepard from his head and found it an incredibly tough task to follow through with.

They sat on the couch together, next to each other, and were a million miles apart.

* * *

><p>As he came into work the next morning he found Jenny at her desk staring in wonder at the contents of a cardboard box, strands of red hair falling into her face. Her eyes sparkled as she reached for whatever it was inside the box, slowly pulling it out of it.<p>

"You went dress shopping last night Jen?" Gibbs asked, his tone mocking. She threw a nasty glare in his direction and continued to awe at the beautiful cobalt-blue satin gown.

"Actually it's a gift Jethro, from someone I mean obviously quite a lot to." That got his attention, he eyed the now offending piece of clothing jealously.

"Is that so?" He murmured warily, coming towards her.

"_Jeez_, Jethro, it's from Ducky. He thought I could use it." Jenny laughed. It was good to know he cared enough about her to be jealous if she had some kind of a secret lover.

"Why would you need a gown like that?" Gibbs asked, his curiosity sparked.

"Obviously Director Morrow will call later on to tell us he got us tickets for the annual Moscow Christmas Ball at the City Hall. It's a black tie event, so evening gowns and tuxedos are required." She answered, looking dreamily at her new dress again.

"And why do you know something like that before me?" He grumbled, making her laugh at him again.

"Because I like to socialize with people. And because Tom told Ducky and he told me in the letter he wrote me accompanying his gift." Jenny told him, fishing the piece of paper out of the box. He glared at her for a few minutes not knowing if he should be offended because his best friend told something as important as that _her_ first.

"Ducky and I go way back." He pointed out.

"Are you sulking Jethro? Oh poor baby, your buddy told me first" she cooed at him mockingly.

"Jen" he warned her before the ringing of his phone interrupted their bickering. "Gibbs. - Yeah, we're coming." He said, slamming the receiver of the phone down. "Obviously McAllister has a message from Director Morrow for us."

"Is that so? Well maybe you should consider dry cleaning you tux then." She said climbing up the stairs to McAllister's office, giving her hips an extra swing.

The woman was a damn tease.

* * *

><p>"Why can't I come with you?" She asked sighing, probably for the hundredth time.<p>

"This isn't a social event Stephanie, this is a matter of national security." He was tired of hearing her pouting again. Ever since she'd found out he had to go to that ball two weeks ago, Stephanie tried to bully him into taking her with him.

"Won't it be suspicious if you are the only one without a date Leroy?"

"Who says I will be alone there?" Gibbs asked back, not really thinking about it.

"You have a _date_?" Stephanie stared at him incredulously. "_Who the hell are you taking with you Leroy?_" Her voice was dangerously low.

"It's not what you think Steph-" He began to explain.

"It's not what I think? Damn Leroy what shall I think?" She was now shouting.

"Calm down Steph, I'm going there with my partner." He said. _Calm down Steph, I'm going there with my beautiful redheaded partner who just happens to be my ex-lover _he thought.

"Two men going there together? And here I've always believed you want to blend in seamlessly if you're undercover. I'm not sure if a gay couple will be inconspicuous."

He contemplated if he should just let her believe what she wanted to, if he should just not tell her about Jenny. But it would be worse if it backfired to him, if she found out by hazard.

"I'm going there with my _female_ partner Steph."

"You have a female partner? Since when?" How could she not have picked up on that? Did she know him so bad?

"Beginning of December." Gibbs replied, looking into her eyes stoically. Looking away would mean guilt.

She just nodded, didn't say anything for the rest of the evening.

"Don't stay up waiting for me. I don't know how long it will take."

She went with him to his car and pushed him up against it, still not saying anything. She kissed him, hard, in a desperate attempt to claim her territory.

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><p>Stephanie went back up to their room as soon as his car left the gateway. She changed into a light blue top and skinny jeans, her make-up was casual. If he was going to spend some quality time with this partner of his, she would go to a bar and flirt unscrupulously. She didn't make it further than to her hallway though before she began to cry.<p>

She knew Leroy wasn't having an affair, she _felt _it, deep down in her heart he knew he was hers - still. That he wouldn't do something like that to her.

He was slipping through her fingers though, and she couldn't do anything to stop that. She broke down sobbing.

* * *

><p>Agathe Ganiole was surprised as someone rang the doorbell at half past eight. She wasn't expecting any company, didn't have a clue who it could be in fact. She opened the door and found Stephanie Gibbs, make-up smeared, eyes red and puffy.<p>

"What's going on? Stephanie, what's going on? Come in!" She ushered the other woman into her living room, watched as the redhead took a seat on the comfortable white leather couch.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you, I don't know what possessed me. I'll go again." She said, standing up again.

"No, no, it isn't a problem. I'm going to make us some tea. Darjeeling fine with you?" Agathe didn't wake for her guest to nod and turned to the kitchen. As she returned to the living room a little while later, Stephanie seemed to have straightened up.

"I don't know what's wrong with me. I mean he didn't do anything bad. He's just going to this function with his _partner_, but he isn't cheating on me, he doesn't have an affair." Somehow it seemed to help her to just talk about it.

Agathe looked at her, her eyes wide. So he didn't have an affair? Then who was the woman she saw him at the coffee shop with?

"It's just that those hormones, they are going to kill me." Stephanie went on rambling. "I suppose it is because of those stupid meds, I caught a really bad cold the other week, and now it's messing with my head." She stopped, looking at the blonde expectantly.

"Maybe there's another reason for your mood swings." Agathe began carefully.

"What do you mean?"

"Well maybe they have more natural causes."

"You mean I'm pregnant?" The red-head asked not really sure what to believe.

"It could very well be, don't you think? You're a married woman after all." Agathe's smile caused a real torment of emotion to ripple through Stephanie.

"I really could be pregnant." She said, tears glistening in her eyes.

"Well it certainly won't hurt to take a test." The blonde answered noticing the other woman's far-away smile. So Stephanie was already thinking about kids and a happily ever after. Then the real question was what her husband was dreaming of.

* * *

><p>They rode to the ball in a comfortable silence. Gibbs had picked her up at her house at eight, had complimented her on her dress -<em>ironical <em>she'd thought- and her hair, then they were on their way.

They let one of the servants park the blue government car and entered the hall.

Her breath caught in her throat.

"Jethro, it's beautiful." She said, looking in awe at the chandeliers and decorations all over the room. There was a dance floor in the center of the room, a few couples were already dancing, and round tables in white for eight persons around it. It could have been a scene from a fairy tale.

"Not as beautiful as you." He gave back as he put his arm around her waist, leading her to their table. A faint blush creeped up her cheeks, clashing nicely with the strands of curly auburn hair framing her face.

"Good evening, ladies, gentlemen" he greeted formally the two already seated couples at their table. "I'm John Walters, this is my girlfriend Grace Masson."

"Nice to meet you John, Grace. I'm Alexej." A tall, dark-haired man stood up and shook Gibbs' hand before he turned to Jenny to kiss her cheeks. "You're a lucky man, John" he said appreciatively after eying her up and down.

"This is my wife, Julia" Alexej pointed at the petite blonde next to them, "that's Dmitrij and Tonja. Another friend of mine, Iwan, and his wife Anna will join us soon."

They nodded politely and were soon engaged in conversation. A little while later the last couple joined them.

"So John, what are you doing here, beside having a nice evening with your girlfriend?" Dmitrij asked from his right.

"I'm a business man. A friend of mine got us the tickets for this ball so I could make a few new contacts."

Dmitrij and Alexej shared a look. "So what's your business about?" The latter asked, looking at him curiously.

"The same business as everyone." Gibbs said, looking at them pointedly. "Just the usual stuff. It always good to know people. The more the merrier."

"Enough about business gentlemen" Tonja scolded. "This evening is supposed to be fun, not some business meeting."

"If you liked, we could continue our 'business meeting' some other time, New Year's Eve perhaps, what do you think John?" Alexej asked.

"Sounds like a plan." He confirmed, then he turned back to Jenny who was talking to Julia. He brushed a few strands of her out of her face, brushing her cheeks lightly with his knuckles in the process. She gazed back at him lovingly every bit the amorous couple they pretended to be, just that they weren't pretending.

Absorbed in their own world they didn't noticed the others getting up and onto the dance floor. "You want to dance too Jen?" He asked lowly so they wouldn't be overheard.

"I'd love to." She smiled, a smile that could lit up the whole room. He held her a little more tightly than strictly appropriate, twirling her around lightly. Jenny rested her head on his chest, hugging him tightly. Gibbs stopped, just standing in the middle of the dance floor, holding her close. He pressed a kiss to the crown of her hair, then to her forehead. She looked up at him, her green eyes halfway closed, the dreamy smile on her face once again.

He loved how she looked. He loved _her_.

He brought her head softly nearer to his. He framed her face with his hands, stroking her cheeks, her hairs, her lips. He traced her bottom lip lightly with his finger, before he kissed her softly.

It was tender, sweet, loving, so much more than he'd experienced in the last two years. It didn't take them much to turn it passionate.

"Let's go." She breathed against his lips.

"Let's go." He confirmed, kissing her once again.

* * *

><p>He pushed her up against the door of her bedroom. She was beautiful. So very very beautiful. Her cheeks were flushed, her hands trembling, her breathing was ragged. His teeth graced her carotid artery lightly, trailing down to the hollow of her throat. She moaned his name wiping any other thought from his mind. There was just her. He and her, <em>them<em>.

Jethro searched for the zipper of her dress, pulling it down her slender frame. She kissed him hard, pushing her tongue behind his teeth, exploring his mouth, tasting him, rediscovering him.

"Jenny" he breathed against her neck, sending shivers down her spine. "Jen." She looked up at him, her eyes locking with his. He just held her for a few moments, enjoyed being close to her. "Don't run again Jen, please."

She nodded. "I'll stay Jethro, I'll stay."

He undressed her slowly, leaving no inch of her body untouched. She returned the favor in kind, enjoying touching him almost as much as being touched. He was so careful with her, as if she was going to break any minute.

Their love-making was slow, tender, and so very in sync Jenny didn't know where she ended and he began. The heat in the pit of her stomach was increasing, she knew she was close to the edge. He touched her face gently.

"Together?" He asked softly. She nodded and kissed him affectionately.

"I love you" she breathed as they climaxed together.

"I love you too Jen, I love you too."

* * *

><p>He woke up with a familiar red-head in his arms, one that smelled like vanilla and cinnamon rather than roses. He tightened his hold on her and pressed a small kiss to her forehead.<p>

"Jenny" he mumbled burying his face in her hair.

She turned around to him, not fully awake yet. "Jethro?" "Yeah?" He asked back lazily.

She jumped out of the bed, grabbing his shirt and throwing it over her head.

"Jen? What's up?" He asked, reaching for his boxers.

"You are married Jethro!" She yelled. "I slept with a married man!"

"Don't you think I know that Jen?" He yelled right back, a hint of dejection in his voice. "It doesn't matter to me. I don't love her."

He could see the emotions rushing through her in her eyes, leaving her confused as she broke down crying. "I just can't handle that right now. It hurt so much that you married again just seven months after Paris. It hurt me, and I deserved it."

Gibbs pulled her on his lap rocking her as she sobbed quietly into the crook of his neck, pressing soothing kisses to her temple, letting them linger. "C'mon Jen. It's going to be okay. Let's get some coffee."

Unbelief glistened in her eyes, a small smile grazed her lips. She really didn't have much of a hold on her emotions. "You have just slept with a woman that isn't your wife and you want to get coffee?" Jenny asked.

"You have a better idea?" She shook her head.

"I'm going to take a shower. Alone." She said, giving him a knowing smirk.

"You just had to spoil my fun, didn't you?" He teased her kissing her forehead tenderly. She brushed her lips against his for a brief moment before she stood up.

Jenny got to the bathroom without thinking much about anything, refusing to dwell on whatever this was as she turned the water on. She didn't expect him to leave his wife for her, or did she?

She had no idea what to think. This was already messier than their Paris love affair had been at its worst times. And this was just the beginning. It was messing with her head. She knew she loved him, so why was it so damn complicated?

* * *

><p>As Stephanie Gibbs got up the next morning, she was sleeping on an unfamiliar couch in an unfamiliar environment. Her head hurt. Had she drunk anything? Then it came rushing back to her in a maelström of emotions. She was pregnant, or at least she thought she was. She folded the blanket she'd been covered with and placed it neatly on the end of the couch before she left.<p>

Her bed at home was unused what could mean two things. One Leroy had crashed at the office or two he had crashed on the couch. She didn't want to think about the hypothetical third possibility involving a certain female partner. She wouldn't dwell on that. Leroy wasn't having an affair, that she was sure of. Stephanie changed her clothes and applied a new layer of make-up, then she grabbed her bag and left the apartment, heading for the next drug store.

She grabbed three different tests and a bottle of water and checked out absentminded. She searched for her phone in her bag and called Agathe, thanking her for the last night and telling her that she'd bought the tests. Stephanie didn't know what it was about the french woman, she just seemed to have some greater insight, and Stephanie couldn't just let it be. She had to find out what it was.

Her bag was thrown on the counter in the hallway as soon as she opened the door. She stormed towards the bathroom, taking two stairs at a time. She took the tests and waited, staring at them anxiously. She just couldn't avert her gaze.

Stephanie had waited for five minutes as the signs appeared on the tiny screens. She was anxious. She needed a few moments to gather the courage to actually look at them.

Tears spilled down her cheeks as she did.

* * *

><p>It had been a good morning after they'd left her apartment for the coffee shop. He seemed to give her the space to sort her thoughts and Jenny was grateful for that. She knew what she wanted, and she knew she didn't have the right to take it, but it hurt to admit that.<p>

"This is already messing with my head Jethro."

She cradled the coffee cup in her hands. She gulped. This was harder than she'd thought.

"You are married Jethro." She said as she touched his cheek with her hand.

"I know Jen, I'm sorry."

It was so much like their second meeting at the coffee shop a little more than two weeks before. If possible his words hurt her now even more than at that time. Their feelings were in the open, they were more honestly than they'd ever been in Paris and yet it seemed like there wasn't a chance for them.

"Let's stay at least friends." Jenny murmured.

He took her in his arms, hugging her tightly as she buried her face in his chest. He pressed a chaste kiss to her temple, not letting his lips linger this time.

"Everything for you Jen."

* * *

><p>She always imagined herself happy after she took a test. Had always thought she'd be ecstatic, would call her husband, her parents, and her best friends to let them now. Instead she felt empty and devastated.<p>

She wasn't pregnant. And now that she knew it she wondered how she had been able to think she would be for more than a split second. She hadn't been late, there wasn't even a hint of morning sickness and beside the last few days when she'd cured her cold she hadn't felt any different than usual.

Still, the anguish was there. She felt as if she'd actually lost a child, it hurt like hell. It was that second that Stephanie Gibbs decided she wanted a child.

* * *

><p>As he came home that evening he found his wife waiting for him. She wore a low-cut see-through blouse and jeans that show off the curve of her hips, an outfit he'd surely appreciate if his mind hadn't been laced with guilt because he'd slept with a certain other red-head that wasn't his wife.<p>

Jen'd been right, this was messing with his head. Just that there wasn't a _this_. The only _them_ he was going to get was a work-related, platonic friendly one.

He went straight to the coffee maker behind her, bracing his hands on the counter. He wasn't sure if he should tell her about it, but decided against it.

"Have you ever thought about having another child Leroy?" She mumbled into his back as she embraced him loosely from behind.

"You aren't pregnant, are you Steph?" He stiffened, tuning around roughly, knocking her back a step in the process. That couldn't be, she couldn't be pregnant. He didn't _want _another child, not with her at least.

"No, I'm not. But it wouldn't be a problem if I were, would it." She said, clutching his hands in hers. He pulled his hands back forcefully.

"Yes it would." He spat turning to the stairs.

"Leroy" she called after him, her voice almost desperate. "Leroy"

Gibbs turned around to face her again. "A child won't fix this Steph." He said emotionlessly, gesturing to her and himself.

"Then what will?" She asked and he could hear the hope in her voice he was about to shatter. He brushed a hand down his face. He felt so tired, so incredible tired, of this, of them.

"I don't know if anything ever will."

He heard her sobs as he climbed up the stairs.

* * *

><p>New Year's Eve, and with it the next ball, came faster than Gibbs had expected. His relationship with his wife had been tense after their argument so he had offered to work on Christmas Eve as well as on Boxing Day and as a result the holiday itself had been icy. The only thing he'd looked forward to had been meeting Jenny at work on the 26th. She'd given him a cup of Jamaican Blend and a croissant, in return she'd gotten a scarf; he hadn't been able to give her her coat back yet.<p>

This time Stephanie didn't want to accompany to the ball, she just asked if 'this female partner' would go with him again and didn't say anything else as he nodded. He left the apartment hurriedly, he couldn't stand spending another minute there.

Jenny already waited for him as he pulled up in front of the house she lived in. She wore a cream-colored dress that left her shoulders uncovered and ended just above her knees showing off her legs and the emerald-green scarf he'd given her last week. This event wasn't as formal as the last one, so she was able to pull it off, and if Gibbs' stunned expression was anything to go by, she looked great.

When they arrived at the mansion in Moscow's poshest district the hall where the party took place was already crowded as hell. They needed a bit of time to locate Alexej and Iwan, obviously Dmitrij couldn't make it. The look the two men threw her way made Jenny shiver and she pressed herself further into Jethro's torso.

"They look at me as if I was some piece of meat" she whispered disgusted.

"They earn their money with human trafficking Jen" he gave back.

She threw him a nasty look. "And that's supposed to make me feel better?" His grip on her waist tightened as they approached their suspects.

"I won't let anything happen to you." He said lowly and kissed her cheek gently.

It made her feel better.

* * *

><p>It had been already half an hour since Jethro had gone to a 'more private location' with them and she started to get nervous. She wondered if their covers held, if they were able to pull it off, or if he was already laying on the street with a bullet hole in his skull.<p>

Julia and Anna were standing next to her, each nursing a glass of red wine, her own was still untouched. The atmosphere was relaxed, a band was playing jazz music in the background and most of the guests were dancing by now. She wondered if it was possible to snoop around a bit to find him, to make sure he was safe, but dismissed the thought at the sight of the armed guards standing along the walls. She wasn't sure if they all were someone's security detail but decided it was likely, there were a lot of powerful people present.

"Grace, are you okay?" Julia's voice sounded concerned. "I asked if you'd been to Moscow before."

She forced a smile on her face. "It's my first time actually. My father was here several times when I was young, but he never took me with him." A sad look crossed her eyes at the thought of her father.

"Oh, what about him?"

"My parents died in a car accident eight years ago." She gave them a small smile.

"I'm sorry. What about John's parents?"

She had the distinct feeling she was being interrogated but answered nevertheless. "His mother died when he was young, his father on duty a few years ago. We both don't have siblings, so there isn't really someone beside us."

The blonde nodded. "Then it is a good thing you two have each other."

* * *

><p>"So what it is you are looking for?"<p>

"I thought I'd made myself clear the last time we'd met."

"We have a lot to offer my friend" Iwan said, "but good things have a price."

"Tell me, I'm willing to pay." Gibbs gave back. They were seated around a small table in some kind of a private lounge, tumblers full of amber liquid in front of them, the heavy smell of Whisky penetrating the air.

"About five thousand dollars each." Alexej answered shifting in his chair.

Gibbs nodded. "That's a lot of money. I want to meet them first."

Iwan inclined his head thoughtfully. "There will be some kind of function at the end of January. We could talk about the details then. That's okay with you John?"

"That's fine with me." He said smoothly. It was more than enough time to prepare a mission to take out their operation. He lifted his tumbler.

"Cheers gentlemen. It's a pleasure to make business with you."

* * *

><p>It was almost midnight as he found her again in midst of other people looking a bit lost.<p>

"You wanna go home Gracie." Gibbs asked teasingly as he put his arm loosely around her waist.

"No, I want to see the fireworks. I'll get us some Champagne." She hurried off to come back moments later with two glasses of Champagne.

He helped her with her coat, then took her hand as they looked for a good place to look at the sky. Jenny pulled him towards his car and sat down on the hood. He sat down next to her and together with all the other people around them, they counted down the last seconds until the New Year.

"Five; four; three; two; one"

They gazed into each other's eyes, not thinking about why they shouldn't do this anymore, and suddenly it was just them on the street. Just them - their mouths, their tongues, their hands.

"I need you Jen." He murmured into her ear, holding her tightly as they had to break away for air.

"I know." She trailed her fingertips down his the side of his face over his cheeks to his lips, tracing them with her thumb. "I know." She kissed him back.

As they awoke the next morning into each other's arms, there was no regret and no stopping like the last time.

* * *

><p><em>Januar 2002<em>

Jenny Shepard stood impatiently in line at her favorite coffee shop waiting for her order. Her coffee maker had broken down, probably because it was overused since Gibbs came by almost every morning nowadays. She paid for her coffee, grabbed the cup and turned around, bumping into the woman behind her and spilling her coffee down the other woman's front.

She blushed instantly.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't see you, I..."

"It's okay." The other woman said rather calmly. "That can happen to everyone."

"Well, I'm sorry though. Let me buy you your coffee." Jenny said, already turning around and putting a few rubles on the counter.

"Drink it with me then." She said, leading Jenny to a table near the window. The woman was a red-head too, she was a little taller than she herself, and not as pale as her.

"Here is my card. Please send me the bill for dry-cleaning your top." She shot her another apologetic smile.

"Jennifer Shepard" The other woman read out loud. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Stephanie Gibbs."

Jenny's face fell. Guilt laced through her mind as she realized just who she sat across from, together with jealousy, and some sort of satisfaction because he was with her at night although he had an admittedly stunning wife at home.

She had no idea how to handle such a situation and she doubted that there was somebody who could actually have given her some advice. She was quite sure that one wasn't supposed to have coffee with their lover's wife.

* * *

><p>Jenny refused to dwell on her meeting with Stephanie, she prefered not to think about the <em>other woman<em> too much. She thought it was ironical that she called her that out of all as she was sure that normally she should consider _herself _the _other woman _but she ignored most of those thoughts. She had Jethro told about their meeting when he had asked her what was wrong when she'd acted strangely at work. She had paid the bill Stephanie had sent her. She'd _politely_ declined her offer to meet up for coffee again.

Other than that she felt tired, she didn't want to go to some boring function tomorrow night but knew she didn't have much of a chance. She was fairly certain she had some kind of flu as she'd been so sick this morning that Gibbs had sent her home, something he'd never done before, but even that wasn't going to help her. McAllister insisted she'd go, sick or not.

She wasn't as sick the next morning and began to actually look forward to the evening when she eyed the new dress she'd bought for this last function she had to attend. She didn't understand why people would want to go there voluntarily but she certainly could understand why they always dressed up for it. After all, it _was_ the fun part of the evening. Her new dress was a strapless emerald-green evening gown that complimented her eyes and hugged her figure. Absentmindly she brushed her fingertips over the soft fabric.

It was surely going to take Jethro's breath away.

* * *

><p>He'd found the cardboard box with <em>her <em>coat in it by hazard as he'd looked for the shoes to go with his tuxedo. He opened it, letting his fingertips brush against the soft brown leather. His marriage with Stephanie was almost over, he would file for a divorce first thing when he was back stateside, so there was nothing wrong with giving it back to her, was it? He put on his shoes, grabbed the box and shouted he'd go now to Stephanie. She didn't answer.

The door closed behind him, leaving an eery silence in the apartment.

* * *

><p>Her world was crumbling. Probably falling apart too, but she refused stoically to acknowledge that it had come so far. It would mean she had lost all of her control over the situation. Stephanie Gibbs held a bottle of vodka in her hand, Russian <em>wodka<em> in fact. She couldn't read the text on the bottle. She couldn't read her husband anymore. She wondered if she'd ever been able to do so in the first place.

She downed a healthy gulp.

Everything had started to fall apart when she'd told him she wanted a child. Maybe it just wasn't supposed to be. She could live with that she thought.

She took another gulp.

She wouldn't just give up on them, on their marriage. There was a reason why she'd married him, she just had to remember what it had been. She didn't want to think that maybe he wasn't the man she'd married anymore.

* * *

><p>Tears welled up in her eyes as Jethro gave her her coat.<p>

"Jethro." She trailed off, letting the tears fall. She cupped his cheek in her hand, stroking it tenderly. "I love you Jethro." She murmured as she brushed her lips against his, closing her eyes.

As she opened them again, he saw the pure sincerity of the statement in her eyes and knew this would be forever.

* * *

><p>Gibbs had his arm securely around her waist. He didn't know what spooked her about Iwan, Alexej, and Dmitrij, but he acknowledged it as what it was. She respected his gut feelings so he would do the same for her.<p>

"You are safe with me Jen. I won't let anything happen to you." He felt her relax in his arms as he tightened his hold on her ever so slightly.

"You are just a big softie under that bad-ass Marine image you know that Jethro?" Jenny teased him, but her smirk didn't quite reach her eyes. She was uneasy around the three men, but had no idea why. She didn't dislike their wives, rather enjoyed their company in fact so she didn't know what it was about them. She curled herself into Jethro's side as much as possible without appearing suspicious. Feeling him smiling against her head as he pressed a kiss against the crown of her hair she looked up at him cupping his cheek with her hand.

"Let's get this over and done with."

He took her hand and led her over to the small group.

"Grace, John, it's nice to see you again." Tonja said while the rest of them remained silent.

"Same here." Gibbs grumbled shaking their hands while Jenny embraced them loosely. He rather felt than saw someone slipping a piece of paper into the pocket of his jacket, but didn't acknowledge it. He guessed it was time and place of their next meeting where he would meet his 'ware'.

"I want you to meet a few friends of mine" Dmitrij said, leading them over to a rather large group of people. "Those are a few business partners of mine. I figured as we are all into the same business anyway it wouldn't hurt you to know them." He looked at Gibbs who only nodded, then turned back to the group. "Hey guys, listen up. That's John and his girlfriend Grace. He's here to find some new business contacts."

The people around them lifted their glasses and murmured their greetings to welcome them. Jenny and Gibbs tried to look at everyone, determined to be able to recognize every face.

"So where are you from?" A petite brunette woman asked. She wore diamond earrings Jenny would swear had costed more than she earned in a year.

"We were both born in America, although my family's from Europe though. My father was French, my mother Irish." Jenny answered automatically. She looked around for Jethro but couldn't find him anywhere near her. The uneasy feeling returned to her.

She waited a few seconds, then she excused herself and went to the door on the right side of the room which wasn't fully closed.

* * *

><p>Gibbs stood outside, leaning against a wall in front of him were Iwan, Dmitrij, and Alexej in front of him. They had told him discreetly they wished to speak to him for a minute. <em>Alone.<em> He had gotten exact instructions how to get to their meeting. They were about to shake hands once again as he heard Jenny yelling behind him. He took off towards her voice without a second thought.

* * *

><p>She creeped along the dimly lit hallway carefully listening to any sounds indicating she wasn't alone. She peeked around a corner as suddenly she was yanked back from behind. A rather large hand covered her mouth as a deep voice, laced with a thick Russian accent, whispered in her ear lowly.<p>

"What are you doing here beautiful?"

Jenny tried to pull away, but he only tightened her hold on her. She bit down hard onto his hand, making him loose his vice like grip on her. She yelled as loud as she could, hoping that anyone would hear her, that Jethro would hear her. He covered her mouth with his hand again, shutting her up effectively.

"Let her go!" Someone shouted from behind her. The guy turned around, turning with her. There stood Jethro, his gun in his hand, Alexej, Dmitrij, and Iwan behind him.

"Let her go Boris." Iwan told him calmly. He let her go instantly and Jenny stumbled towards Gibbs who took her into his arms, holding her securely.

"What was that about." Dmitrij snarled.

"I didn't know where John was." She murmured, tears welling in her eyes. "I just wanted to find him."

Dmitrij eyed her suspiciously, then nodded thoughtfully at them. "Okay, I believe you. You know everything you have to know John. Don't be late." He said looking at Gibbs. "And don't pull a stunt like this again, otherwise..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but either way, there was no need to. His stare, cold and threatening, expressed what he wanted to say better than words ever could.

* * *

><p>I hope you enjoyed. Let me know what you think. I'm writing like a mad man on this, I guess I just have to get it out of my system.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Again, thanks for the review. This will probably be as much drama as the last one, but hey, that's as what this story is labeled as so I think you knew what you got involved with... :D

* * *

><p>Chapter three: Schmeißt die Gläser an die Wand<p>

She didn't know what was wrong with her. It seemed she was spending more time at the bathroom at NCIS than at her desk actually doing the paperwork she was supposed to do.

She had been sick the day of the fateful evening five days ago and she wasn't getting any better. She blamed the cold Russian winter for that.

"Jenny? You in there again? Jen?"

Great. Now she had to deal with her over-protective lover too.

"I'm al-" She didn't have the time to finish her sentence before she had to start vomiting again.

"Hey Jen." A cool hand held her hair out of her face while another rubbed soothing circles on her back. "Come on, we will get you home." Pulling her up on her feet Gibbs had to steady her with his torso to prevent her from falling to the ground again.

"Really Jethro, I'm fine. It'll pass in a minute or so. It did for the last few days." Jenny tried again. She didn't want her co-workers talking about them again but why did she even care? They had been doing it anyways since her second day in Moscow when Gibbs had brought her coffee.

"You've been sick like that for several days and you haven't thought about telling me?" He asked incredulously.

"Why would I Jethro? We both have enough to worry about."

"You think this stupid meeting with those sons of a bitch is more important to me than you?" His voice was raising slowly and she could see the hurt in his eyes. However, she couldn't stop herself from saying her next words.

"It's always been this way, hasn't it Jethro?" Even to her her words sounded hollow, but it was how she'd felt for a long time. Like he was holding back.

He looked at her, his face blank at first, but then she saw the anger burning in his eyes. "Nothing has ever been more important than you since I met you. Not now, not in Paris. How can you even think that?"

"You don't trust me, not with your heart at least." Her voice sounded so bitter, so accusing. He gripped her arms, but took a step back from her, holding her at arm's length. How metaphorical she thought.

"You don't really believe that, do you Jen?" Gibbs' blue orbs bored in her emerald-greens, she felt like her soul laid blank.

Jenny stared back at him for a long time, motionless. "You were holding back. All the time. You laughed in my face when I told you I loved you. There was darkness about you, but there was some about me too. I thought we would work because of that, because I wouldn't attempt to fix you and you would let me stay broken. But you didn't. I didn't even realized that you were fixing me, but one day I woke up and there was no pain anymore. That was the day I realized I was in love with you. The day I told you. I took me so much. And you looked at me and answered 'That'll be the day'."

"Jen-"

"No, let me finish." She insisted, cupping his cheek tenderly. Tears were welling up in her eyes and he brushed them away with his thumb gently. Pulling her into his arms he just held her tightly to him before he let her go on.

"You said 'That'll be the day' and suddenly I thought the real reason why you were holding back was not that you couldn't open up to me but that you wouldn't. That you didn't want to. That you didn't love me. The first time you actually told me was here in Moscow. I spent two years thinking that you didn't love me Jethro."

He hugged her close, intending to never let her go again, not caring if her tears were soaking his shirt.

"I love you Jen. Never think I didn't."

"I know now. I know." She murmured into his shirt, her words slurred by her quiet sobs.

"It's painful Jenny. It just hurts so much."

"I know" she said again, knowing he was talking about the darkness in him, the darkness she could emphasize with, because she _knew_ how he felt.

"I've lost them Jenny. I lost my whole family. I lost my wife, I lost my little girl." His eyes were watery by now too. Jenny didn't say anything, just held him, and cried with him.

"She was so young. Had her whole life ahead of her. She was eight Jen, eight. Who in their right mind kill an eight-year-old."

She shook her head, remained silent. She didn't know the answer. It was so cruel, taking a little girl from her father, taking a life full of chances, of love from a little girl who had had it all ahead of her.

"Kelly. Her name was Kelly. After Shannon's mother's middle name." She assumed Shannon was his wife then.

Jenny didn't say she was sorry, she knew there was nothing she could say to make him feel better. Instead she took his hands in her own and kissed each of his wrists tenderly.

"What about you Jen?"

"My mother died when I was young. I hardly remember her but my father used to tell me I was her spitting image, except the eyes of course. They are all Shepard." She laughed a little, it was mirthful, not bitter, and he was thankful for that, that she was able to remember the good times, that she was able to honor her loved ones that way.

"He died when I was nineteen. Army CID investigated, they ruled it suicide because they thought he'd taken a bribe." Her eyes were wide as she looked at him again and he took his time admiring them. _All Shepard _he thought to himself.

"My father was an honorable man Jethro. Catholic too. He didn't kill himself. He didn't leave me. He knew I would be alone if he did. Dad, he was my only family Jethro. The only family I had left."

He thought about himself at that beach, just a few moments short of taking the barrel of his gun into his mouth. He knew the moments when it seemed as if it was all too much, that left you wishing you were dead, thinking there wasn't anything to live for anymore.

"I've been there Jen. After they left, I've been there."

Jenny stared at him, and there was an odd mixture of emotions in her eyes.

"I'm glad you didn't Jethro." She didn't have to say it, they both knew what she was talking about. "I'm glad you are here with me."

"I'm glad too."

* * *

><p>Jenny hadn't gone home that day like he'd <em>requested<em> it several times, but instead had promised to go to the doctor to get herself checked up on. So here she sat here she sat in the doctor's badly furnished office fidgeting nervously with the hem of her green cashmere sweater.

"Miss Shepard?" An elderly man with gray-ish hair entered the room. "I'm doctor Montgomery."

She shook his hand, feeling slightly more comfortable. The man was kind and somehow reminded her of Ducky which was a good thing she figured.

"So what's wrong with you?"

She had to smile about this one. It sounded so _odd_. She mused over her life for a few brief seconds and wondered what he'd do if she answered _beside me sleeping with a married man you mean?_. Probably getting a coronary. Jenny grinned.

"I'm sick a lot lately. Nauseous, can't stand certain smells anymore, my circulation is messed up as is my sleep schedule and I don't feel too well in general."

The doctor nodded a few times, looked at his notes and then wrinkled his forehead thoughtfully. "What about your period?"

"What about it?"

"Are you late?" Montgomery looked at her expectantly.

"Er, I'm not sure, I don't know really." She took a few seconds to calculate back. She'd had her period after she arrived in Russia. And then not any more. "I think."

"Okay, we could test some of your blood now or you could just go to the drug store and buy a test if you prefer that opportunity. Either way, if it's negative come back otherwise make an appointment with you OB/GYN."

Jenny stared at him dumbfounded. How could he say something like that so hollow, with no emotion at all?

"I think I'd prefer option number two." She forced herself to say and stood up. She didn't know how she felt, numb perhaps, but she was fairly sure that wasn't how she was _supposed _to feel. She looked at the doctor again. He seemed serious.

It couldn't be, could it?

* * *

><p>She stumbled through the drugstore, still not sure what she was thinking about this <em>development<em>. She hardly even looked at the packages in front of her, just grabbed the one the closest to her and went to the check out. The woman behind the counter smiled at her, there was something sympathetic about her, as if she could feel the nervousness radiating from Jenny.

"Good luck." She said. Her teeth were white, eerily white, and ironically that what the only thing Jenny was able to remember later, that and the sound of her voice, because to her it sounded like _Congratulations_.

She hurried to her car and drove like a maniac to her apartment, never thinking twice about a movement, maybe because that was what she tried to avoid the most: _thinking_. She hurried upstairs to her bathroom, plugging out the memories of her and Jethro in this room just days ago.

The next minutes were a foggy blur to her, she took the test, went out of the room and locked the door. She counted till three hundred, opened the door again and couldn't bring herself to actually look at the stick sitting innocently on the counter.

She felt dizzy again, thought she might start vomiting soon. She was miserable. Bending over the toilet boil she tried overcome the nausea but it wouldn't pass for about the next three minutes.

Tears spilled down her cheeks.

Pushing herself up from the ground Jenny closed her eyes tightly as she reached blindly for the stick. She counted to ten in every language she knew before she opened them again.

She gasped as she saw the blue plus-sign indicating that she was, in fact, pregnant.

She didn't know what she'd hope for anymore. If she'd wanted to be pregnant or not. Either way she was. Abortion wasn't an option, this child was hers, hers and Jethro's and she wasn't going to get rid of it. Didn't want to and didn't think she even could.

Staring at the stick in her hand for a long time Jenny wondered how exactly she was going to tell him that he was going to be a father again.

* * *

><p>It was hard for her. She felt an empty hollowness in her, no matter what she did, no matter what she thought.<p>

She had wanted that child, she had wanted it so much that sometimes it was hard for her to remember that she had never been pregnant in the first place, that the universe she was looking forward to being a mother had just been a product of her own imagination. Of her imagination and later on her hope. The former shattered by three white plastic sticks, the latter by her own husband.

Stephanie liked to think she had come to terms with the fact that wasn't ever going to be a mother. Leroy didn't want a child, and frankly she wasn't bold enough to just stop taking her pill to get pregnant. Most of the time she couldn't even see herself walk away from him, and she thought there were very few reasons because of which she would actually do it. So motherhood was out of the picture for her.

Instead she tried to focus on something else, started a second attempt to learn Russian, went out to dinner and lunch dates with her friends and tried to ignore that she was always the only one without her husband by her side. She laughed when Anastasia asked if there really was a husband and only smiled knowingly when they began to slander.

Stephanie liked to think that she didn't care what they thought, that they didn't know him like she did and that she had no reason to doubt him, but when there were just another social event she was forced to go to without him with her, she began it think it became all too much.

She wasn't sure if it was too much for him or for her though. She found that she didn't even care. Not about her situation, less about his.

She mourned a child that would never even be conceived.

And felt numb and hollow when she did so.

* * *

><p>The earwig cracked steadily into his ear, the faint rustle calming him down. It was cold in this part of the town, even colder than usual. There was no cloud in the sky and the moon shone down on them ghostly. The fog coming from the river Moskwa clouded his eyesight.<p>

There was a dull pain in his right knee where he'd been shot in Desert Storm, and ever since he'd caught a round in the same leg in Positano it troubled him whenever there was weather like this.

Gibbs saw Jenny hovering behind a wall a few yards away from him, her fiery red hair hidden under a black hat, her gaze fixated on the warehouse where the meeting would take place. He hadn't wanted to take her with him and the team, especially since she'd been sick the last couple of days, but she hadn't let him much of a chance, instead threatened to call Morrow to get her will.

He looked at his wrist watch again for what was probably the tenth time in the last few minutes and wondered if they were going to show up. Maybe he hadn't seemed trustworthy enough, or worse, someone had tipped them off. They wouldn't stand a chance if this was an ambush. There were about five other agents beside him and Jenny positioned around the warehouse, but the real back-up team were four blocks away to not rise any suspicions. They wouldn't be there fast enough.

He shot a glance to Jenny again, knowing when it came down to it his first priority would be to keep her safe.

"Gibbs?" The rustle fainted as he heard Miller's clear voice. "They're coming."

"How much of them are there?" He asked in a hushed tone.

"Eight. All three of our suspects. The others seem to be their bodyguards." Gibbs nodded although he knew they couldn't see it.

"Jen?"

"They are approaching you, coming around the corner in three - two - one." Her voice was professional, bare of any emotions, but had a slight edge in it. "Take care Jethro."

"You too." He answered, then it was silent.

* * *

><p>Jenny thought it was fascinating that she wanted to look away but found that she couldn't. She was mesmerized by a situation that held more than a potential risk of being a complete disaster, that could possible kill her lover. <em>The father of your child<em> said the nasty voice in the back of her head but she refused to think about that now.

Their intel was miserable at its best, they hadn't had more than the location and the time to base an entire operation on. An operation that would bring down one of the world's biggest crime rings if it was a success.

They had checked out the area near the warehouse, positioned agents all around the building, but there were too much factors, too much things that could go down awfully wrong.

She peeked around the corner. There they came. Eight people. They were seven. Outnumbered from the beginning.

She listened to the conversation over her earwig, gave Jethro the information he needed, stayed highly professional.

"Take care Jethro." And hoped he would be alright.

* * *

><p>Gibbs could feel her eyes glued to his back. She hadn't let him out of her sight since he'd shaken hands with Alexej, Dmitrij, and Iwan. As he followed them to the entry of the building he could feel the other agents sprinting through the shadows behind him, could feel her next to him.<p>

"We have a clear shot on Popow and Sokolow, Pawlow is behind you Gibbs."

He inclined his head and touched his chin with his thumb indicating that he'd heard Miller.

"After you John" Alexej said, mentioning to one of the men to hold the door open for them.

Gibbs looked around him carefully, making a show of waiting patiently for his 'business partners'. "Were are they?" He asked, just a hint of impatience in his voice.

"Come over here my friend." Dmitrij called. "Here you go." He handed him a small booklet, looking at him expectantly as he browsed through it.

"See something you like?" Iwan asked, a trace of a smirk on his face.

Gibbs merely rose an eyebrow. "Haven't decided yet."

"Have a look at those. They're redheads like _Gracie_."

Gibbs stared at him, his gaze hard. "What shall that mean?" He forced through gritted teeth.

_"Gibbs? Is everything okay there? We don't have a visual on you. Confirm if you can."_

"Calm down man, it was just a joke. You know, she's hot." Alexej shrugged his shoulders.

_"Gibbs? Can you hear me? Copy!"_

"I heard you." He said, to Miller as well as to Alexej. "But I wanted to see them, not a few photos Pawlow." His voice was dangerously low.

"I don't appreciate your tone John, but I'm willing to forgive you." Alexej mocked handing him another book. "Maybe you want to have a look at this too?"

Gibbs grabbed the book roughly. "I don't think I made myself clear. I..."

"What's that in your ear, John?" Iwan asked, reaching his hand out to him.

"Nothing." Gibbs replied as he pulled away from him.

"I don't think so. That's an earwig. Who are you? I asked you a question _John_." Iwan said, coming near him again. "Who's your boss? Did we step on someone's toes?" He reached into the waistband of his pants gripping what look like the handle of a gun.

"Miller!" Gibbs barked grabbing his own gun.

_"Coming. Hold on a moment."_

"Federal Agents, freeze!" All heads shot around to Jenny standing in the door, her weapon drawn. "Guns on the ground, hands behind your head." She ordered, slowly coming near them.

"Well if that isn't _Gracie_" Dmitrij said. "Coming to join the party? We hoped we'd see you earlier and under more pleasurable circumstances." He mentioned to three of the men to take her out.

"I said freeze!" She barked as they went towards her. Gibbs nodded to her, his grip on his gun tightening.

"Put your weapon away John or something might happen to her." Dmitrij looked thoughtfully at her.

The first shot rang out as Jethro bent down to lay his weapon on the ground. One of the men advancing her crumbled to the floor applying pressure to a wound on his knee while the other two lunged at Jenny. She didn't stand a chance against them. Her gun was kicked away while the others tackled Jethro to the ground.

"Miller!" He barked again, hoping that back-up would come soon.

_"We're coming. Where are the others? Do you hear me Gibbs?"_

He defended himself as good as he could, trying to keep an eye on Jenny who was about to be beaten up by her attackers.

"Jen!" He called but didn't get an answer. Suddenly he saw them letting go of her, drawing their weapons again. Gunshots rang out as agents stormed the building. Gibbs freed himself, running over to her limp form on the ground. She was unconscious, her lip bleeding, and a bruise already blossoming on her forehead.

"Jen!" He called again. "Miller, call an ambulance, she doesn't wake up!"

He pressed kisses to her forehead, mumbled incoherent things in her ear, and cradled her close to his chest. Time seemed to fly by, he had no idea how long he was already sitting on the ground like that, stroking her hair, holding her tightly, as the ambulance finally arrived.

"Sir, you have to let go."

"No." He shook his head vehemently refusing anything that had to do with letting her out of his sight even if it was only for a few moments. "I'll stay with her, she's my..." What was she to him? Lover, partner? Everything?

"She's his partner Sir. Let him go with her." He'd never been more thankful for Miller as back-up.

The EMT nodded tight-lipped as they raised the gurney inside the van.

"Where are we going?" Gibbs asked, clutching Jenny's hand in his own.

"City clinical hospital."

Gibbs nodded, looking absentminded at Jenny again.

* * *

><p>Jenny didn't know where she was when she woke up. The room was white, cold, sterile. <em>A hospital<em> she figured looking down on the gown she was clad with.

The memories flowed over her like some kind of a maelström. Jethro'd been threatened. She'd walked in. The men had gone towards her. She'd shot one of them. They'd overpowered her. She'd fallen to the ground. They'd beaten her up.

Her head hurt. She was dizzy, maybe even concussed. Her lip was split, there was a bruise over her eyebrow, otherwise she was fine. Her relief was almost overwhelming. She leaned back comfortably, rested her hands over her belly-

Her belly. Her child._ What was about her child?_ The panic threatened to overwhelm her. She pressed the button for the nurse repeatedly, already crying hysterically.

A young nurse stormed into the room. "Miss, you have to calm down. Do you hear me? Calm down, or I'll have to sedate you!"

Jenny forced herself to take calmer breaths, her subs turning into hiccups.

"Are you alright Miss? What's up?"

"What about my child? Is my child alright?" Jenny asked, tears welling in her eyes again.

"You are pregnant? I'll get Doctor Soukalowa." She said, turning on her heel and storming out of her room.

A little while later an elderly woman with friendly hazel eyes followed by a young nurse entered the room.

"I'm Doctor Soukalowa." She introduced herself extending her hand for Jenny to shake. "How far along are you?"

"I don't know exactly. About seven to eight weeks I think." The doctor nodded.

"Okay, we will make an ultrasound to see if your baby is alright. That may be cold now." She said as she pulled Jenny's gown up a bit and placed the gel on her belly.

She searched a little bit before she pointed on the grainy image on the screen. "That's your child. There's its head. You are right, you're about seven weeks along. By what I can see, I don't think that any damage was done to the baby." The doctor looked at the red-head who had tears running down her cheeks by now.

"Thanks doctor." She whispered as she wiped the gel from her belly.

"Should I print you a few pictures?"

Jenny just nodded, too overwhelmed to speak for a moment. "Doctor? When am I free to go?"

"I want to keep you here for about another ten hours because of your concussion. You are free to go tomorrow at eight o'clock in the morning." The doctor replied giving her the photos. "There is a rather upset man waiting for you. Should I send him in?"

"Yeah. Thanks for the pictures doctor."

* * *

><p>Gibbs was almost sure that he wasn't supposed to have to wait so long. He paced back and forth, sending a murderous glare to the nurse station again. He didn't know how long he had already been doing his flawless Russian nobody seemed to be willing to give him any information.<p>

A nurse had told him that she'd woken up about fifteen minutes ago, so why wasn't somebody giving him an update on her condition? Why hadn't she already asked to see him?

"Agent Gibbs?" His head shot around. The elderly doctor who had passed by in a rush a few minutes ago was coming towards him.

"Yes?"

"Miss Shepard's required to see you." She sent him a small smile.

"How is she?" He asked.

"Why don't you see for yourself? She's in room 237."

"Thank you." Gibbs said, his eyes sincere.

* * *

><p>Her eyes were closed as he entered the room. Her milky white skin almost as white as the sheets around her, the red hair framing her face looking like fire.<p>

"Jen?" He asked, tenderly brushing a few strands out of her face.

She opened her eyes lazily. "Jethro. How are you?"

He just grumbled something incoherent. "What about you?"

"Mildly concussed, a bit dizzy. I can go home by eight o'clock tomorrow morning. You're picking me up?"

"I'll stay with you. Anything else?" Gibbs asked.

She turned her face away from him, focusing on the wall on the right of her. "No." She said. He looked at her closely, noticing the slight twitch of her right eye.

"You sure Jen?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" She hissed, her temper flaring.

"Hey, it's okay Jen." He said, stroking her hand lightly as he placed a small kiss on her forehead.

"I'm sorry Jethro, I don't know what it is about me, I'm just... It's like an emotional rollercoaster. I left you in Paris-"

"You know I forgave you Jenny."

"Yeah, but I did it anyways, and the two years after that were dull, empty, without you. And then I came to Moscow, and suddenly there's you again and, and-" The tears were welling up again in her eyes.

"Shh, Jen. Come here. It's okay."

She looked at him, her eyes wide and watery. He hugged her tightly. "We'll go through it, whatever it is, okay Jen?"

Jenny nodded, looking at the wall again. She could almost feel her right eye twitching. The grainy black-and-white photos in her coat pocket seemed to weigh tons. She pulled away from him and kissed his cheek.

"Go back to sleep Jen." He said softly. "I'll be there in the morning."

* * *

><p><em>God<em>, she was desperate. She wouldn't be calling her mother if she wasn't. Yesterday had been the fourth night in a row he'd come home so late that she hadn't even seen him and left so early that she hadn't been up by the time he'd gone to work. And tonight it seemed like he wasn't coming home at all.

"Flynn?" A sleepy voice on the other hand of the line mumbled.

"Mom?"

"Stephanie? Do you have any idea how early it is here?" Her mother asked.

"I'm sorry mom, I shouldn't have called. I will let you go back to sleep now." She answered dully. She heard her mother clearing her throat before she spoke again.

"It's okay. I'm still not fully awake, but go on talking, I will be soon honey." Her mother hurried to reply. Her daughter sounded seriously distressed, she shouldn't have a bad conscience for calling. Even if it was in the middle of the night.

"It's not that easy mom. I think I'll need your advice." Stephanie said playing nervously with the cord of the phone. "It's about Leroy, he's just so, oh I don't know..." She trailed off, unsure what to say. "He's even more withdrawn than usual, talks less, smiles less, laughs never anymore. I don't know what's up with him, but I don't like it."

"So what do you want to do about this?" She listened to the faint noises in the background, her mother turning the coffee maker on, and let them calm her down a bit.

"I don't know mom. I don't even know what caused this. All I know is that he doesn't come home at a normal time anymore, and that he leaves the house at six in the morning. I don't know any of his co-workers, I don't know if he has friends at work, I don't know if he has any contacts in Moscow at all. We don't talk anymore."

"Steph, honey, you don't have to take this, you know that, don't you? You can come back to America any time, if not permanently then at least to visit me."

"Thanks mom. Maybe I will take you up on that offer. Maybe he'll even come with me for a change?" She mused, playing with the cord again.

"So how are you Stephanie? It's been ages since we talked last."

"Fine. You?"

"You don't sound fine honey." Why was her mother so damn observant, even with endless miles of ocean between them? If she pushed the envelope any further she would break and spill everything.

"I've made a lot of friends, a few Brits, a French woman, and even a few Russians. I don't speak the language though, but they don't care. All of them speak English. They are really nice, we have lots of fun, go out for lunch and dinner together, the usual stuff, you know?"

"I wasn't asking about them Stephanie, I was asking about _you_. You don't sound to happy you know. Rather sad actually."

She looked nervously around the room, trying to gather the courage to talk to her mother. To tell her what was wrong. She didn't found it.

"It's nothing really."

"It isn't nothing if you're so worked up about it." Her mother said lowly, treading the subject carefully.

"I thought I was pregnant. I wasn't though." She answered, focusing her gaze on a fly on the wall.

"So what about it? You and Leroy could try for a baby if you liked."

"He doesn't want a child. It's just, I believed for one night that maybe, I'd be pregnant, and when I wasn't it was like a slap to the face. I was looking forward to motherhood, to having a child. And now I just can't." So far she had succeeded at keeping the tears at bay, but she knew that it wouldn't last long. "Can we talk another time again mom? I have to go." The thought of her mother pitying her was too much to bear.

"Are you okay sweetheart?"

"Yeah. Love you mom. I'll come visit soon." She promised.

"Love you too."

She hung up as soon as her mother had said her good-byes, tears flooding down her cheeks. It was hard to accept.

* * *

><p>It had been seven days since that night at the hospital when he had hovered over her the whole night, never straying far from her side. By now he was almost sure she was hiding something from him, something crucial, and he didn't like it one bit.<p>

Jenny had lied at the hospital when he'd asked her if there was something she hadn't been telling him. The twitching of her right eye was a deadly give-away, and even if he hadn't seen it, her strange behavior would have given her away by now. She was clearly avoiding being alone with him and was most of the time deep in thoughts. Sometimes he found her staring at a little picture for minutes over minutes, never acknowledging him, never noticing him till he announced his presence. She would tell him it was nothing when he asked her about it.

Gibbs had been pushing her all week, desperately trying to break her stony silence, getting her to open up to him, but he couldn't do anything if she denied that there even was anything that required they talked about it and he didn't have any proof.

He rounded the corner, coming to a halt in front of her desk. Placing one of the coffee cups he held in his hand on her desk he looked at her expectantly.

She gave him a distracted smile, hurriedly slipping something in the pocket of her coat. The picture he assumed, noticing it was wrinkled by now. He wondered what was in it. "Thank you Jethro." Jenny said, licking a few drops of coffee off her lips.

"You would tell me if something was seriously wrong with you, wouldn't you?" He asked out of the blue, looking straight at her right eye.

"Of course!" She exclaimed, shocked, sincere. Her eye didn't twitch.

"Okay." He muttered, turning to his paperwork.

Jenny looked at him curiously, trying to make sense out of his behavior. "Is anything wrong Jethro?" He shook his head. She kept eying him sceptically for a moment before she too continued to write her report.

He glanced at her in what he hoped was a subtle way every few seconds.

"Jethro, are you alright? Is there anything on my face?" She asked irritated. Not so subtle then.

"You tell me Jen." Gibbs got up from his seat and moved over to her desk. "So is there anything wrong?"

She looked almost guilty for a moment before she was in control of her expression once again. "You've been cornering me all week Jethro, if there is anything you want to know, just ask. I don't like to play games."

"Since you were in the hospital, you've been acting weird. You are absentminded Jen, deep in thoughts. You are not as carefree anymore. What did they tell you there?" He asked, taking her hand in his, stroking her knuckles softly.

"Nothing I didn't know before." She answered, trying to pull it back to her. There clearly was something wrong then.

"Has it anything to do with the picture in your coat pocket? The one you've been staring at?" Gibbs asked, reaching for her coat. She swatted his hand away angrily, sending him a nasty glare.

"That's private Jethro!" Jenny spat. "I don't go through your coat pockets either."

"What is this about Jen? I'm worried about you."

"There's no reason for you to be worried." She hissed standing up. He pulled her close to him, just holding her for a little time. He felt her giving up her fight, letting her defenses down. He put a few strands of hair behind her ears, brushing her cheeks with his knuckles in the progress.

"Tell me Jen." Gibbs demanded, his voice low. "Please."

"Not here Jethro. I'll come by around 2000 hours okay?" Her last attempt of stalling. She had to get it over and done with sooner or later.

He nodded and kissed her forehead lightly. "See you tonight then."

* * *

><p>Here you go. I hope you enjoyed reading this... Tell me what you think please!<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks for the review and to those who set this story on alert once again. This will be the last chapter set in Moscow, after this there will be only an epilogue left, but don't let this spoil your fun...xD

This is a rather fluffy chapter. Originally I wanted it to be angsty but it didn't really turn out this way, so here it is.

* * *

><p>Chapter four: Hahahahaha<p>

Was this her coming clean? Was this admitting or confessing to something? Did she have something to admit? No, she told herself, no. It was like a personal mantra. She hadn't done anything wrong, there was nothing to be nervous about.

_No no no no no no no no._

Then why was she nervous? The nasty voice in the back of her head told her that she knew the answer, but did she really want to know?

Jenny pulled up in front of his house, looking at the small piece of paper in her hand, looking at the house again. She hadn't known the address, had had to look into his file to find it. Her hand went to her belly, caressing it lightly while she checked out the houses around her.

It was a good quarter, nice, wealthy, but she couldn't quite picture Jethro here. He wasn't the type to live the happily ever after with his wife, the two point two kids, and the dog in the house with the white picket fence around it.

Not that he had a chance now, when she was about to drop the bombshell on him that would shatter his _married _life.

She checked the driveway for another car beside his, only then thinking about the third party involved. It would shatter _her_ life too. She didn't know what she had been thinking when she'd told him she would come to his house. The last place unaffected by their affair. _She _could be there. Not that that mattered anymore. Nothing did in fact. After this _talk_, three worlds would be burnt to the ground. Smashed. Left to be rebuilt.

Jenny looked down at her hands again, one still caressing her belly in a soothing motion, the other clenched around the piece of paper with his address on it.

_Guilt_. That was where the nervousness radiated from. She was about to steal another woman's husband, and she felt like it was her _right_. She was the one pregnant, wasn't she? The situation seemed to suffocate her regardless.

She drew in a shaky breath, willing her body to move. Slowly, she opened the door and climbed out of her car, making her way towards the front door of the building. One hand lay protectively over her belly, the other reached out to the ring the bell. The door buzzed and she entered, for once choosing the stairs over the elevator. She couldn't guarantee that she wouldn't hit the emergency switch and lock herself in there.

He waited for her, leaning against the door frame to his apartment.

"Jen." He nodded, stepping to the side to let her pass.

"Jethro." He led her into the kitchen, busying himself with the coffee maker while she pretended to admire the view over Moscow out of the window.

"Coffee?" He asked casually, already having taken two mugs out of the cabinet. "No, thanks." She shook her head in the negative, smiling apologetically. She took a step back, the smell turning her stomach upside down.

"You okay Jen?" Gibbs looked at her questioningly as she covered her nose with her hands, the other one flying to her stomach. "You aren't ill, right?"

Jenny nodded at him, slowly getting a hold on the nausea. "Can we sit down somewhere?"

"Sure, come on. Let's go to the living room." He placed his hand on the small of her back, rubbing soothing circles there as he pushed her softly into the living room.

It hit her how surreal this was, how out of character for both of them. They weren't like this, cool, polite, 'let's-go-to-the-living-room-ish'. They clashed, argued, were loud, destructive, passionate, but this was more resigned than she'd ever thought was possible. But maybe that was what it would be like. What had started like a torrid love affair full of risk, danger, passion, and lust would turn out civil and calm. Maybe that was what he was like secretly. Tranquil. Maybe he looked for his white picket fence and his dog. Maybe he wanted this. Maybe he wanted _her_. And she was about to destroy that.

"Jen?" He asked, pulling her into him. There was concern in his eyes, it was overwhelming. For a moment she wondered what he was thinking, what he thought what the reason for her strange behavior was. "You wanted to tell me something."

She bit down on her lip so hard she thought she drew blood. _She_ hadn't wanted to tell him. Although she wasn't sure what she'd planned on doing instead anymore. She wasn't a mother, there was no maternal bone in her body. She couldn't raise a child on her own. She didn't _want_ to.

Jenny nodded solemnly, her eyes locking with his. "I am not ill Jethro, I'm..."

"Thank god." He said, letting out a sigh of relief. "I don't know what I thought, but when they wouldn't let me see you and you stopped behaving like you normally do,..." He mumbled quietly, gruffly, the last part almost inaudible before he trailed off. "Maybe I thought you'd die. That would have been Shannon and Kelly all over again."

"And _Kelly_?" Jenny asked, her eyes wide. Did he know? How? She'd been so carefully, had avoided almost all of his probing questions. "How do you know?" She asked huskily. _How could he have know all along and didn't say anything? How dare he? _

"Jen." Gibbs said brushing a strand of her hair out of her face as he saw her eyes becoming hard. "What's up? You have been distant for the last week, ever since you've been released from the hospital."

So he didn't know. He wasn't playing some sick game with her. The question was, was she? Was her not telling him she was pregnant playing games with him now that she knew about Shannon and Kelly?

She cleared her throat, looked at him. The tension was almost too much for her to bear. "Like I said, I am not ill. It's just a lot to take in. I'm confused, I didn't know what to do, how to act. I had to figure that out before I told you." Jenny said, glancing downwards at her lap where her hands where fidgeting with the hem of her white sweater. Gibbs felt her nervousness and placed his hands on top of hers, stilling her movements.

"Jenny, what is up?" He asked, looking her straight in the eye.

"I am pregnant." She whispered so softly he thought he'd imagined it.

"You are what?" He asked again, his voice louder than he had originally intended. She shrieked back, but her response came as forcefully as his question.

"I am pregnant Jethro."

* * *

><p>It had been a good day for Stephanie Gibbs. Since her talk with her mother almost a week ago she'd been more of her old self again, enthusiastic and self-confident. She'd decided that she would give her marriage another shot, now that she knew about the traumatic events in Leroy's past they could begin anew, make it better somehow. She knew they could.<p>

Turning into their street she noticed the black Audi parked in front of her house. It was a nice car, very elegant, not easy to afford. She parked beside it.

Climbing out of her car she greeted the neighbors and went to the front door, like always fumbling a bit with the lock. Stephanie paused a moment in the hallway, talking with the old woman living on the floor below them for a little time. Her English was acceptable, heavily accented, but understandable. She patted her arm again and again, like some sort of consolation. Stephanie smiled a last time at her, then she took the stairs up to her apartment.

She contemplated if she should announce her presence but decided against it, she would surprise him. Knowing it was almost impossible to get inside their apartment without being heard by him, she discarded her heels before she even turned the lock.

She creeped into the apartment, it was quiet, too quiet. The foreboding kind of silence. She heard hushed voices coming from the living room. Looking around her she looked for some kind of weapon, maybe there were thieves in here, she couldn't go in there unprotected, but then she recognized Leroy's voice. It was soft, caring, different to everything she'd ever heard.

Stephanie creeped further down the hall, careful to avoid the creaking panels of the hardwood floor. Pressing herself against the wall she caught a glimpse of the persons in the living room.

They sat on the couch, Leroy and a woman she didn't know. She was a redhead too, looked as if she was maybe a few years younger than she herself. They spoke lowly, their voices mere hushes so she couldn't understand what was said.

She leaned back against the wall, letting her head hit it softly. _It's harmless Stephanie. He wouldn't do that. He wouldn't bring a girlfriend to your apartment, where you could walk in any minute._ It had to be harmless. Just then she became aware that she wasn't outright denying the possibility that he could be having an affair anymore.

She turned again, studying them thoroughly. Their poses, how their bodies were angled towards each other. Him brushing strands of her out of her face, putting them into specific places. She holding onto his hands he had offered her so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

_This wasn't innocent_.

Was it an sudden enlightenment? Or just the confirmation of something subconsciously long known?

The volume of their voices increased, ripping her out of her thoughts. Stephanie looked at them again.

"You are what?" His sounded unbelieving, his tone almost harsh, but it had a soft edge to it. He eyed at her expectantly.

The redhead looked at him, and Stephanie could almost see her temper rising. Her eyes seemed to sparkle, her hair catching the fire. Her knuckles turned even whiter.

She opened her mouth, ready to shatter Stephanie's world.

_"I am pregnant Jethro."_

* * *

><p>Whatever he'd expected her to tell him, that certainly wasn't it. Emotions hailed down onto him like some kind of a tropical shower.<p>

"You are pregnant." He repeated more to himself slowly grasping what it meant. He was going to be a father again. A father to an innocent little child, one he wouldn't fail, one he could try to protect from every devil in the world once again. A little someone to love, to hold.

He put his hand on her belly, searching for a curve.

"You are pregnant." Jethro repeated once again. "How far along are you?"

Jenny smiled at him, and he could almost see the relief that flowed through her upon his reaction. "About eight weeks now."

He nodded and took her in his arms, pulling her to her, pressing kisses all along her forehead and temple.

"I love you Jen. God I love you." He mumbled into her hair as it became wet from the silent tears of happiness he was crying.

* * *

><p>She slid down along the wall, pressing her knuckles against her mouth to prevent herself from making a sound. Silent tears spilled down her cheeks as she put her hand on her belly, where <em>her<em> child could be growing by now, the child that would have tied him to _her_.

_"About eight weeks now."_ Stephanie heard the other woman say. Eight weeks. That would be about the Christmas ball he hadn't wanted to take her to, where he'd said he was going to with his _female partner_. She hoped to god it wasn't her. How stupid could she had been?

Leroy was embracing her tightly by now. _Her. How fitting that was,_ she thought. Stephanie didn't know her name, till about ten minutes ago she hadn't even known she existed at all, hadn't had the barest suspicions that there was another woman in her husband's life. The other woman. The one who had no rights. The one living in the shadows, never there, never known. And yet there she sat, on _her_ couch, in _her_ living room, demanding _her_ place by his side because of a child _she_ wouldn't ever have.

Stephanie stood up, sneaking a glance around the corner again. He was planting kisses all over her face and hair now while he was holding her close to him.

_"I love you Jen."_

She didn't have to bear this. She was his wife. She had the right to go in their, throw _Jen_ out and take _Jen's_ place on the couch, in his arms. Slowly she creeped nearer to the door.

What should she do? Act normal, confront him? Be passive-aggressive?

She looked at Leroy again. He had been having an affair. He had knocked his girlfriend up. He wasn't sorry, instead he was looking forward to the baby. He'd said he loved her.

Stephanie straightened up and cleared her throat.

Cool, she decided. Cool and cynical. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of tears.

They pulled back from one another, staring at her wide-eyed, their expressions seeming to scream _what did you hear?_

"Leroy, who is this?" Stephanie demanded huskily but steadily, hoping her red eyes wouldn't give her away. "Leroy, who - is - this?" Her knuckles whitened at her murderous grip on the door frame.

"Steph-" He tried but trailed off, his lack of words obviously.

"Who is she?" The red-head asked staring at Jenny.

Gibbs looked uncertainly from Stephanie to Jenny. He didn't know why this came so surprisingly for him. He wondered if he had ever thought about this, the inevitable confession that had to come at some point in time. Ironically he found he hadn't.

"Is her child yours?" She asked, her eyes silently begging him to say no, to deny everything, even if he was the father.

"Steph, Stephanie," he began, trailing off.

"Leroy, is this child yours? Are you its father?" Stephanie demanded, furiously wiping her eyes as the tears welled up in them. _Jen_ reached out with her hand, grasping his tightly in hers, a silent confirmation.

"Yes." He asked, looking her in the eye. "I'm sorry Steph."

_I'm sorry._ How often had she wished for him to say those words, to offer them as some sort of consolation? She stared at him, her thoughts racing. Was he sorry about them, about marrying her? Or was he sorry that he had been having this affair?

"This marriage wasn't fair on either of us. I shouldn't have trapped you in this rebound relationship, you deserve so much more. I'm really sorry Steph. I'll file for divorce first thing when I am back stateside."

She felt like the rage in her roared its ugly head breaking through the heart break that had her in a tight grip.

"_You_ will file for a divorce Leroy? You?" Stephanie yelled, coming towards the couch menacingly. "_You_ are in the wrong here, not me. _You _have an affair, you committed adultery. _You _got _her _pregnant."

Her shoulders slumped down. "You said you didn't want kids Leroy. Guess you just didn't want kids with me then." She laughed mirthlessly, the sound echoing dully in the eery silence. "Who is she anyway? Some random redheaded hooker you picked up on a street corner?"

"She isn't a _whore _Stephanie." He barked, his voice angrier than she'd ever heard it.

"I think you forget that she isn't the one you should be defending Leroy." Stephanie spat, her eyes ranking over Jenny's small frame on the couch, her hand protectively over her belly. "Don't think you'll get the chance to file for a divorce. I'll take everything Leroy. You won't have anything anymore when I'm through. I'll sue you for alimony and I'll get it. I'll get everything I want because you committed adultery and kindly we'll soon have a living proof for that too."

Stephanie turned around, purposefully striding towards the staircase. "I'll take the first flight back to America. You'll hear over my lawyer from me."

They stayed seated on the couch as they heard the red-head packing her suitcase on the floor above them. The tension was thick enough to cut it with a knife.

"I'm sorry Jen. I didn't want that to go down like it did." Jethro said gently touching her wrist with his pointer finger. Jenny nodded, her eyes fixated on her wrist.

"What are we going to do now?" She asked a slight tremor in her voice.

He shrugged uncertainly, pulling her into his arms again for what felt like the hundredth time that day. "I don't know Jen, we'll figure it out." He said as he caressed her belly lightly with right hand, his wedding band glistening on his finger. He caught her gaze, focused on the ring. Taking it of he repeated "We'll figure it out."

Jenny just nodded, the lump in her throat making it impossible for her to speak. She pulled away from him as she heard Stephanie coming down the streets. She didn't want to add fuel to the flames.

Stephanie came into the room, one last time, seeing her husband sitting on the couch with his pregnant lover, his wedding band laying innocently on the table in front of them.

"You are a bastard Leroy Gibbs."

* * *

><p><em>February 2002<em>

People had begun to talk not soon after. At first it had been rumours only, their co-workers trying to explain while he was so protective whenever she was concerned, why he wouldn't allow her to be out in the field anymore.

Then, after a few weeks, somebody had seen them together exiting a restaurant looking like a freakin' love-sick couple. They hadn't been able to stop the gossiping afterwards. Her morning sickness had been identified as what it was and now that everybody knew she was pregnant, and everybody suspected it was Gibbs', it wouldn't take long anymore till the rumours reached the other offices, Washington in particular.

Jenny looked down at her midriff, she wasn't really showing yet, but she could see a small curve when she dressed in the mornings. She sighed thinking about what she had wanted to do with her life when she'd walked out on him a little over two years ago. She had been so heartbroken back then, so lost in the world. Her job had been all she had. She'd never thought she'd be pregnant with his child two years later. Involuntary her thoughts drifted back to Stephanie. The hurt expression in her eyes, the anguish. She knew how the other red-head felt, she'd been there. It made her sick to know that she was responsible for it.

"Jen." Gibbs called softly, brushing his knuckles against her cheeks lightly for a moment. She could practically feel the stares of the agents around them. "McAllister wants to see us."

She nodded, simply following him up the stairs to the corner office. Gibbs stormed past Callie in his usual rude way while she paused moment to give the woman a small smile.

"Go right in Agent Shepard, he's already expect-" She was cut off by the sound of the door being barged against the wall.

"You wanted to see us _Assistant Director _McAllister?" He asked, his tone almost mocking as he pulled out a chair for Jenny to sit.

"I'm sorry sir, he just stormed right in, I couldn't do anything" Callie said, throwing a uncertain glance into McAllister's direction.

"Just shut the door behind you." He gave back before he turned to Jenny and Gibbs again. "I heard the rumours about your condition Agent Shepard" he said letting his eyes rake over her body.

"What does that mean sir?" She asked, leaning back slightly as he placed his hands on the backrest of her chair. "If you want to know if I'm pregnant, all you have to do is ask."

"Are you?"

She looked at Jethro for a moment, her eyes holding his gaze. Nodding slowly she said "Yes."

"I understand that Agent Gibbs is the father?" McAllister demanded now looking at Gibbs.

"Yes."

"I think you know that inter-agent relationships aren't tolerated." He asked pointedly, his grin almost vicious.

"There is no rule against relationships between agents McAllister." Gibbs snarled placing a hand on one of Jenny's shoulders.

McAllister shrugged his shoulders. "Nevertheless it was decided that Agent Shepard would reassigned to London while you'd be needed at NCIS headquarters in DC again Gibbs."

"You can't do this Sir" Gibbs said, forcing the 'sir' through gritted teeth. "She's carrying my child."

"Your new assignments start on Monday. I suggest you take the rest of the week to pack."

"Please, Sir,..."

"Better safe than sorry Agent Shepard." McAllister said turning back to his paperwork.

She wasn't sorry. Hurt, angry, furious, but not sorry.

She felt like her life was the plot of some fuckin' soap opera. The need to cry was overwhelming.

* * *

><p>She broke down in front of the counter on the bathroom floor. She couldn't believe it. They took her away from her child's father, sent her on the other end of the world. She felt like she had to vomit again.<p>

"Jenny?" He picked her up from the floor, taking her into his arms. "Jenny." He let her cry against his chest, let her mascara stain his shirt.

Her sobs quieted, turned into hiccups. She put his hand on her belly and placed her smaller one on top of it. "They want to take you away from me. Away from our child."

_Our child._ It was the first time she'd said it out loud and obviously he'd caught on to it too as he pulled her even tighter against him.

"It doesn't matter Jen. I love you, I'll be there for you. For you and the little one. I won't let you go through this alone." He muttered against her hair, pressing sweet kisses to the crown of her head.

She buried her head in his chest, taking comfort from the scent of coffee and sawdust that engulfed her. She kissed his chest where she could hear his heart beating.

"We'll figure it out Jen. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger." He quoted at her and she had to laugh, she'd never imagined Leroy Jethro Gibbs to just hear a radio station that played music by Kelly Clarkson, let alone him actually listening to it.

"You're sweet Jethro. No matter what they say, you're sweet." She said, her voice thick with affection.

"Don't tell anyone. Would kind of ruin my reputation." He smiled at her, it was a lazy smile, kind of smug, one that said 'look at me, I can make you forget your worries, I can make you smile'. His hand was still drawing soothing patterns on her belly. "C'mon" He stood up, pulling her with him. "At least you will be safe in London."

He often wondered what she'd done before they'd met again in Moscow. She had told him about her assignment in Rota, about the conter-terrosism ops she'd worked on, but had never given him any details. But he'd seen the new scars on her body, one on her thigh, one on her waist. He hadn't asked about them.

Some things were better left lie.

* * *

><p>Friday. It was their last day together in Moscow, where they'd rekindled their relationship before she would board a plane to London Heathrow tomorrow morning while he would catch one back home to DC.<p>

They were at the hospital again, waiting for Doctor Soukalova, the woman who'd shown her their child for the first time. She hadn't wanted him to go back to DC without even having seen their child, so she'd made an appointment on short notice. Gibbs was anxiously gripping her hand in his, looking around the room again and again, his gaze resting nowhere for long.

"Jethro" she said, squeezing his hand tenderly, "the baby is okay. We are going to be fine."

He nodded, he didn't trust his voice at the moment and looked expectantly to the door as it opened to reveal the elderly doctor who'd spoken to him so kindly when he'd been worried sick.

"Doctor." Gibbs nodded his head in a polite greeting while Jenny extended her hand for the doctor to shake.

"Miss Shepard, how are you?" Soukalova asked, giving them both a genuine smile.

"Good thanks." She leaned back as the doctor pulled her shirt up, putting a bit of the cold gel on her stomach. She still had Jethro's hand in a tight grip. Jenny looked at him as the doctor pointed out their child on the monitor and saw the tears she was sure were welling in her eyes in his too.

"If you liked, we could try to hear its heartbeat." The doctor offered, looking at the couple in front of her.

"Yeah." The red-head whispered, the man by her side nodding silently. They had to wait a few moments but then a rhythmic, steady sound filled the room.

"Looks like your little one is quite active." Soukalova said smiling at them. "Healthy too. I'll print you a few pictures."

They waited patiently for the grainy images, their hands still tightly clasped together. Gibbs put his arm around Jenny's shoulders after they'd gotten them and led her out of the hospital, his hand resting lightly on the small of her back. He opened the door of his car for her, before he stared in wonder at the picture in his hand again. He kissed her temple tenderly, stroking her hair as he helped her into the car.

"Thank you Jen." He said. He meant it.

* * *

><p>It was Saturday. After they'd come back from the OBGYN the day before, they'd spent their day in bed, laughing, talking, making love, forgetting the day after, when they would see each other for the last time for an unspecific amount of time.

They woke up in each other's arms, content, but with a cloud of sadness hanging over them, following them around her apartment while Jenny picked up her suitcases and he made them breakfast. They drove by his house before they went to the airport, spending as much time together as humanly possible before their flights were called.

Hers was scheduled to take off first so Gibbs saw her to her gate, cradling her to his chest as she cried.

He kissed her temple gently, then kissed her mouth, his lips lingering on hers as he let her feel how much he loved her. "I'll call you as soon as I land." The red-head nodded as he caressed her belly tenderly.

"I love you." She said.

"I love you too." He replied. He watched as she disappeared in the crowd boarding the plane to London.

* * *

><p>When she arrived in London she was painfully reminded of the feeling she had when she'd first arrived in Moscow. The reluctance to settle there, far away from everything she had grown to know and to love. Back then she'd wanted to catch the first flight Rota, Spain, now she would give everything for a ticket back to Russia or better yet back to the states where he would arrive in a matter of hours.<p>

Jenny took a cab to her new place, it wasn't far from the flat she and Jethro had lived in back when they had been partners for the first time. It was a small apartment, well-furnished, very pleasant all in all. She had the perfect view all over Leicester Square Garden out from her bedroom window.

Jethro called every evening when he didn't have a case, if he had one, she would call him and leave him a message, talk about the baby and her life in Europe. He told her about the changes back in DC, about the new kid he had to train, a playboy cop from Baltimore that drove him out of his mind and the new forensic scientist Morrow had hired. Obviously she was a "hugger" and the happiest goth he'd ever seen, not that she suspected he'd seen many in general.

Her team in London wasn't tight knotted as Burley, Pacci, Gibbs, and herself had been when they had worked together in 1997. They seemed rather distant and all in all opposed to the idea that a woman was their new team leader. She couldn't take this into consideration though, she had far more important stuff on her plate like being about four month pregnant by now and beginning to show.

Her morning sickness had almost entirely disappeared, something Jenny was very grateful for, and the mood swings had something predictable about them so her team learned rather quickly when to leave her alone.

Nevertheless she was lonely, even more so when she had yet another appointment at the OB/GYN's she had to go to on her own, the only way to involve Jethro being calling him during the appointment and sending him photos.

She missed him terribly.

* * *

><p>He lived for those days when a new grainy image would come to him in the mail, for the days she had an appointment and called him to let him take part in it at least a little bit. Simultaneously he hated them, hated being not there with her, with the child she was carrying. Hated that she'd been through six month of pregnancy nearly alone.<p>

The new kid was a challenge, one he was grateful for, because it took his mind away from the freakin' situation he and Jenny found themselves in. He was a playboy, had a new girlfriend every other day and once seen a picture of Jenny in the drawer of his desk. He'd caught his first headslap ever when he'd whistled appreciatively. Ever since the photo of the redhead was securely in his wallet, locked away from prying eyes.

They had decided to tell Ducky about their child, him being the only mutual friend they had, and their dearest. He wasn't comfortable with telling Vivian and DiNozzo that he would be a father soon as well as she wasn't ready to tell her team who her child's father was.

So when he called her during his lunch breaks to make sure she went home early to get a good night's sleep he paid attention not to be overheard unless it was by Ducky.

Her OB/GYN in London had told them Jenny's estimated due date after the last appointment, October 7th, and he hoped she would be back stateside by then, otherwise he would have to come to England.

Gibbs looked up from the report he'd been writing when DiNozzo called his name, once again he had been deep in thought, his redheaded, pregnant girlfriend being the main cause. He looked at the latest picture of their child he had, only about two weeks old and so detailed he could make out its legs and arms. It left him in awe every time he looked at it. Jenny and his child. The little life they'd created together.

"Boss?" The DiNozzo kid asked hesitantly. "Abby's got something for us."

Gibbs nodded, tossing a coin over to him. "Get her a CafPow! before coming down." He ordered as he stood up and headed to the elevator. He had a soft spot for the goth, DiNozzo of course thinking it was something sex related, but he just liked to think that Kelly would have turned out at least a little bit like her, happy, bubbly, if she'd had the chance to grow up.

"Gibbs!" The blurry black something squealed, raced towards him and hugged him while at the same time it jumped up and down in front of him. "How do you know I had something for you? Are you magic? You have to be. I knew it..."

"Abby, DiNozzo told me." He said deadpan, in all honesty.

"Don't be silly Gibbs. I wouldn't deny my abilities if I were you." Abby advised, still bouncing slightly.

"Abs, the case." He said, his tone serious. His lunch break started in about five minutes and he wanted to speak to Jenny.

She watched him searchingly for a few moments, looking him straight in the eye. "Gibbs." The goth drawled out his name. "What's up with you? Why are you sad?"

"'M not sad Abby. Back to the case now." Gibbs ordered as he glanced at his watch again.

"Maybe his girlfriend broke up with him. Wouldn't surprise me. Lately, he's been even grumpier than usual-"

*whack*

"You think DiNozzo? Wouldn't I know about something like that first?" He asked his voice slightly on edge when his phone began to ring. Glancing at the caller ID he took the call as he exited the lab.

_"Hey Jen, how are the two of you?"_

* * *

><p>She had been so nervous when she had been summoned up to Rogers' office. He was a nice guy, one you liked to work for, always the gentleman, trying to include you, and she was genuinely sorry to say it hadn't worked for her so far. Nevertheless Jenny had had a weird feeling in her gut when he'd called her up to discuss an 'urgent matter' with her. She was wary, thought about the black ops she'd been working on for the last few weeks as she heaved herself out of her chair. Being six month pregnant wasn't a breeze.<p>

"Sir? You wanted to speak with me?" She asked as she sat down ungraciously on the chair in front of his desk.

Rogers nodded at her scrutinizing her in a rather gently way. "Pregnancy surely agrees you. May I asked who the lucky guy is?"

She laughed. Now it was her who was eying him up. "You are kidding, aren't you? It's the scuttlebutt of the decade. He knocked up his highly professional ex-probie. Don't tell me you didn't hear the rumours."

He smirked a bit, he had to give her that one. "Well, we agents stationed over here always thought there was something more to you two than just a platonic friendship. You know if it's going to be a boy or a girl yet?"

"We decided to make it a surprise. Although I'm sure that Jethro hopes for a little girl." Jenny leaned her head to the sight, looking around the office. "But that's not what you wanted to talk about with me, isn't it?"

Rogers nodded as he opened a drawer of his desk and pulled out a few envelopes. He tossed one over to her. "What's that sir?" She asked staring at the item in front of her.

"Open it." He watched her face as she slowly read the papers inside the envelope, the look of confusion on her face turning to one of complete glee and joy.

"Assistant Director?" She asked, unbelief in her voice. "In Norfolk?"

"You have proven yourself worthy and capable I might add. You are known for your diplomatic skills up on the hill in DC and the other agencies appreciate you knowledge concerning counterterrorism and black ops. And to top it off, you have strong connections to Mossad. I heard you're still in tough with Deputy Director David's daughter?"

Jenny nodded, she didn't trust her voice for a moment. When she decided to speak again it still held a small tremor in it. "When do I start?"

"Officially after your maternity leave, but you're scheduled to fly home by the end of the month."

"Thank you." She said, tears glistening in her eyes as she rested a hand on her belly. "It really means a lot."

Jenny closed the door behind her softly, then she went towards the elevator. She waited for it rather impatiently and pulled a page of his book when it finally arrived. Hitting the emergency switch she grabbed her cell phone and called her lover back in DC.

* * *

><p>Tony creeped slowly towards the door his boss had just gone through and prayed to whatever god there was that Gibbs would neither see him nor would he lock himself in the elevator. To his utter delight he did neither of them.<p>

He listened carefully, storing away every detail he may could use in the sooner or further future. Motioning to Abby to be quiet he edged a little bit nearer to the door frame.

_"What did Rogers want?"_ He heard his boss asked. Rogers - he didn't know him, he may not be based in DC or not even work with NCIS.

_"AD? Where?"_ DiNozzo sneaked a glance around the corner. His boss was leaning against the wall further down the hallway wearing a big smile on his face.

_"That's fantastic news. When will you be there?" _This didn't seem to be work-related at all. DiNozzo grinned. So his bad-ass boss had a private life after all. He would have to grill Abby and Ducky about that. _"What about the little one?"_ The little one? This was better than he had expected.

_"Yeah, me too. Talk to you tonight Jen."_ Gibbs ended the call just in time to see his new probie linger around the entrance of the lab.

"You all right DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked as he passed him by. Tony instantly ducked his head dreading the headslap he was sure would come. He looked around him as he didn't felt anything for the next seconds. His boss was long standing beside Abby, letting her explain the details of the case to him, a small smile still gracing his face.

He just _had _to find this Jen-gal. Maybe she could tell him how to handle _el jefe_.

* * *

><p><em>September 2002<em>

The months after the phone call when Jen'd told him she would be coming back stateside in time to give birth to their child had been the longest of his whole life. He missed her every day, missed not being able to witness how she was growing, how their baby was developing. He felt cheated out on this experience as he hadn't been able to first time around either - he had been deployed when Shannon had been pregnant with Kelly.

On top of that he had to be careful what he did and said since his team watched him like a hawk, attempting to find out his secret. Ducky had told him DiNozzo had grilled him and Abby about it, and because Abby hadn't known anything either but was as always eager to figure the mystery out, he found himself being scrutinized from all directions.

He looked at his watch, Jenny's plane would land at Dulles International in about a hour. He'd spent his free time on decorating the nursery for the last few weeks, building a crib for their child and repainting Kelly's old bedroom. It had felt right to do it, somehow letting them go and honoring their memory at the same time.

"Go home, have a nice evening." Gibbs said, dismissing them with a motion of his hand.

"Somebody interested in grabbing a drink?" Tony asked, his gaze alternating in-between Vivian and Gibbs. His partner nodded, stood up and grabbed her backpack while Gibbs continued to stare at his watch. "You wanna come too Boss? Surely Abby will come too and maybe I can even persuade Ducky to join us?"

Gibbs just shook his head and grabbed his badge and gun, tossing his coat over his shoulder.

"You okay boss? You have been rather distant lately and grumpier than usual, not that you are grumpy in general boss, but you know what I mean..."

*whack*

"Thanks Boss." The kid cracked a smile at him that rather resembled a grimace.

"Have fun DiNozzo. Maybe I'll come with you some other time."

Tony nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer but still casting Gibbs a long look as he hurried over to the elevators.

* * *

><p>In a way it was romantic, it had a sappy, movie-like quality how she had run towards him after having dropped her suitcases to the floor and he had spun her around, in midst of other people, and kissed her senseless.<p>

"I missed you." He said softly, a little breathlessly, as he cupped her face in his hands, leaning his forehead against hers. "How's the little one?"

"Rather active. Wouldn't even let its mother get a single hour of sleep during the flight from Heathrow." Jenny smiled as she put his hand on her belly where the kicking originated. The look of pure bliss on his face was one she was sure she would never want to forget. "I love you Jethro."

He nodded, a little unprepared for the flow of emotions that ripped through him. "I love you too Jen. Let's get you home."

* * *

><p><em>October 3rd, 2002<em>

His team had just caught a case and were on their way to the crime scene as his cell rang. He looked at the caller ID hoping Jenny wouldn't call again because she was bored out of her mind. The last time she had done that he'd thought she'd burned the kitchen down since she'd sounded so panicked. Gibbs quietly suspected that maternity leave was the worst thing someone could possibly have done to her. Jenny didn't know what to do with her time, at first she'd thought about redecorating her brownstone she wanted to rent, then she'd wanted to redecorate his house. When she'd found she couldn't do either thing becaue of the pregnancy she'd been grumpy for the whole day.

Glancing at DiNozzo on the seat next to him Gibbs became aware of the curious stare his Junior Agent gave him.

"You cellphone's ringing Boss."

"You think I don't know that DiNozzo?" He asked harshly. The brunette man just shrugged his designer jacket clad shoulders trying to seem not too interested in Gibbs phone call as the older man answered his phone.

"What is it Jen?" Gibbs asked gruffly.

_"Jethro? I think my water may have broken."_ His lover said on the other end of the line.

"May have? What the hell are you doing now?"

_"Grabbing my bag and calling a cab."_

"You are what? Stay where you are, I'm coming." He ordered, abruptly ending the call and pulling the car to the side.

"Do we have an emergency boss? You know, damsel-in-distress-like and we are her knights in shining armour coming to her rescue?" Tony asked, waving his arms in a what should be a dramatic move in front of his face.

"Get out DiNozzo. This one is private."

"What? You can't just leave me here Boss. I'm your loyal St. Bernard. What would you do without me?" He asked feigning hurt.

"Don't know. Call Vivian she shall pick you up. I have to go." Gibbs replied briskly. Tony got out of the car, still dumbfounded his boss would actually do whatever this was alone.

"See you later boss. Have fun." He shouted as he closed the door just in time as Gibbs sped off.

* * *

><p>Jenny was already going into labor as they arrived at the hospital and constantly threatening Gibbs she would castrate him if he should ever dare to touch her again. He sat on the edge of her bed, letting her threaten him, scream, and abuse his fingers while he told her random things about them, about their child, what they would do once it was born.<p>

Jethro wasn't aware of anything that was going on around them, his mind only focussed on the redhead laying in front of him.

"Push Jenny." He heard the midwife shouting. "It's almost there, I can already feel its head. I think there is hair. Jenny can you hear me? Your baby has hairs."

Jenny smiled at him, a dreamy looks in her eyes. "You hear that Jethro? Our baby has hairs." She whispered. The grin on her face was the most joyful one he'd ever seen, even if she grimaced at the pain as another wave hit her.

"Hopefully it's as red as yours. I hope our child will look like just like you."

"I want it to have your eyes Jethro." She screamed again, squeezing his hand so hard he thought he heard the bones cracking.

"One last push Jenny." The midwife shouted again. "You did a good job so far. You're almost done."

Jenny screamed, pushed, cried, collapsed onto the mattress as they heard the cry of a baby echoing around the room.

"Congratulations." The midwife said, smiling at them widely. "You have a beautiful baby girl."

He took Jenny into his arms, just holding her close, while around them everything buzzed, providing care for his baby girl and for his lover. A doctor approached him, handing him a small bundle wrapped in a cream colored blanket.

Jethro looked at her, caressing her cheek lightly and pressing a soft kiss to her forehead before he placed her in Jenny's waiting arms carefully. Kissing her head too he murmured "You did good Jenny."

The red-head looked up at him, her eyes glistening, her face glowing. She reached out a finger for the baby to grip. Tears spilled down her cheeks as the little girl wrapped her fingers around him. Jenny looked at the little hand, silently counting the fingers, then turning to the other hand. She stroked the few strands of light red hair on the baby's head tenderly before she turned back to Gibbs.

"Thank you Jethro." She mumbled quietly. She was so thankful for him taking her back when they'd met again in Moscow. She couldn't imagine being without him or their daughter ever again. The little girl opened her baby-blue eyes and turned her head in the direction of her mother's voice. "What are we going to name her?"

"I don't know Jen. What do you suggest?"

"What about Grace?" Jenny asked looking at him a bit uncertainly.

"She certainly looks like a Grace. Don't you think little one?" The little girl didn't react in any way, causing her proud father to laugh. "Well at least she isn't opposed to the idea then."

"Then Grace it is. What about her middle name?"

"We could name her Josephine. That was my grandmother's middle name." She looked up at him surprised, it was still rare for him to tell her something about his family or childhood in such a casual way like this.

"Grace Josephine Gibbs it is. Could you call a nurse please Jethro?" Jenny demanded completely wrapped up into their little girl again.

"Gibbs? Not Shepard or Shepard-Gibbs?" He asked surprised.

"She's your daughter too and if she decides later on that she wants her last name to be Shepard or Shepard-Gibbs, she can do just that, but for now I think Gibbs is just fine, don't you?" Gibbs just nodded, still a bit overwhelmed.

He left the room and went to the nurse station, announcing their choice to the nurse. She congratulated him again and told him to go back to his new-born child and her mother, she would sort everything out for them. He smiled at her warmly and nodded thankfully before he went back to their room again.

Entering he saw Jenny asleep on the bed, her red hair framing her face like flames. She hold Grace tightly to her, the little girl was sleeping on her chest too, her light red hair glistening in the light of the afternoon sun.

Gibbs wasn't prepared for the happiness that hit him as he saw them, but he didn't fight it. Right then, seeing his new family sleeping soundly on the bed he knew he could move on and embrace the future.

He closed the door softly behind him and sat down on the chair next to the bed. Entwining his fingers with Jenny's he placed his other hand on his little girl's back. Right there and then, he was happier than he'd ever thought was possible again.

* * *

><p><em>I don't know what it is with me, but I think I'm obsessed with JibbletsGibblets. I hope you liked this chapter. Please review! It would mean so much._


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: As always thanks for the reviews, I really like to know what you think. By the way constructive criticism is welcomed too ;D. Enjoy reading.

Maybe I should say that I don't know how many NCIS field offices there are in the US or where they are so I just made one up. Hope you won't mind...

Chapter five: Hey!

* * *

><p><em>Epilogue:<em>

_August 15th 2005_

Her day hadn't started how she'd liked it to. Jethro had been called out in the middle of the night because some crazy psychopath-slash-serialkiller couldn't wait till seven a.m. to kill his next victim. Then Noemi had called to say she was sick and therefore couldn't look after Grace today what left it to Jenny to decide what to do with her daughter. It was Monday, the week had barely just begun and she had already so much on her plate to deal with. Grudgingly she decided to take Grace to work with her today.

Sighing she got up and went downstairs to the kitchen. She put on the coffeemaker and looked at her watch laying on the table. Quarter to seven. _Shit._ She had a meeting with her lead agent over at Baltimore at nine and her daughter wasn't even up yet. After giving birth to Grace she'd been stationed at Norfolk for three months before she'd been promoted to Assistant Director at Baltimore Field Office.

Jenny grabbed a cup of coffee and downed it at once before she stood up and went upstairs to wake Grace again. The two-year-old was a rather active toddler, she'd gotten the hang of walking shortly after her first birthday and now at almost three she was talking a mile a minute. Picking her daughter up carefully she caressed her cheek lightly to wake her up. Thankfully she was more of a morning person than her mother so she wasn't too fussy about having to get up about an hour and a half early. Balancing the toddler on her hip she went back to her and Jethro's room where she sat Grace down on the rug in front of their bed. She wasn't comfortable with putting her on it while she wasn't in the room and this was the next best option.

She took what was probably the quickest shower of her life, forewent any make-up besides mascara and her signature red lipstick and dressed herself and Grace in twenty-five minutes. Silently thanking whatever god there was that Grace's car seat was already in her BMW she strapped her daughter in, then they were on their way up to Baltimore.

Jenny arrived at her office a few minutes before nine o'clock. She got curious stares from all directions when she strolled through the bull-pen, Grace having clasped her hand tightly in hers and walking next to her, she realised that her agents weren't used to seeing the maternal side of their always professional Assistant Director.

"Wilkinson already in there?" She asked her assistant, a young woman called Cynthia Summers, as she bypassed her desk.

"His team got called out on a case about an hour ago, he hasn't come back yet. Director Morrow is on the line for you though."

Jenny nodded to Cynthia and picked Grace up again before she entered her office. "So Gracie, are we interested in what Uncle Tom wants to say to mommy or will we keep him waiting for a while?" She asked the toddler in a soft voice, ignoring the amused stares of the woman behind her.

* * *

><p>She brushed a few strands of Grace's curly red hair out of her face with her left hand while she held her phone with her right. She had placed the toddler on her lap and was now staring into her baby-blue eyes for a bit. They were still of the same color as they had been on the day she was born and Jenny doubted they would ever change. She pulled a few faces at the little girl and enjoyed the laughter that filled her office while she waited for Tom Morrow to answer the phone.<p>

"Jennifer?" A deep male voice asked on the other end of the line.

"Tom? How are you?" She asked back, stilly playing with Grace. The little red-head looked around the room, she had understood that there were phones involved when adults spoke and she couldn't see another person, but she had a habit of searching the room first.

"Good, thanks. What about you?"

"Like always. So what is this about? You aren't normally one for social calls."

"Well there are a few things I have to talk to you about in person. Maybe you could come over to the Navy Yard for around one o' clock?"

"Maybe we could have that talk tomorrow Tom? I have Gracie with me and..." She trailed of. Said toddler had obviously decided that her mother was too tight-buttoned and was about to do something about it. Jenny gently swatted the little hand away from the button over her chest while she gave her daughter a stern look which unfortunately failed to have the desired effect as she only grinned cheekily back at her.

"I'm sorry Jennifer, but I'll be up on the hill all day tomorrow and this is really urgent."

She sighed as she redid the button of her blouse. "Okay, I'm on my way. I'll grab lunch in DC for Grace and me, then I'll come by. See you at one o' clock?"

"See you then."

He hung up and she searched her handbag for her cell phone. Finally having found it, she dialled Jethro's number, impatiently waiting for him to pick up. He didn't do it though. It was no longer a reason for her to be worried - she'd learnt when she'd first worked with him that rule #3 didn't necessarily apply when he was out in the field questioning witnesses or in interrogation with suspects.

"So what do we think little G? We just go there without telling Daddy?" Grace looked at her, her eyes bright with mischief. Most of the time Jenny was sure it was Jethro's bad influence that caused this trait, but it were moments like this when she admitted her daughter probably got it from her. Nevertheless she was daddy's little girl.

"Yeaaaaaaaaah" Grace drawled, smirking like a Cheshire cat.

Jenny nodded, looking down at her seriously. "That we do sweetie, that we do."

* * *

><p>He sat behind the steering wheel of his navy-blue government sedan, looking at his mobile phone clueless. He tossed it rather violently over at DiNozzo who had the fortune or misfortune, depending how you looked at it, to sit next to him.<p>

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs barked. "Give this thing to McGee, he shall tell me what it wants!"

Kate and McGee snickered on the back seats. "You didn't have to throw it at me Boss, besides I can work out what's wrong with it perfectly fine myself." DiNozzo whined looking more like a child than a full-grown adult.

"Aren't you always teasing me about being a tech-nerd Tony?" The sandy-haired, youngest agent of the team asked. "Just give it to me."

"No need to, I already have it figured it out." He smiled his playboy smile before he looked down at the display of the cell phone again. "Some Jen-gal tried to call you Boss. Hot date asking for a second one?" Tony laughed as he held the phone loosely in his hand for a minute. "Jen, Jen, I don't know, the name rings some kind of a bell. Did I date her before you Boss?"

*whack*

"You better hope not DiNozzo! Give me my phone." He grabbed it out of DiNozzo's hand before his Senior Field Agent could do anything else with it and punched a few numbers. She didn't pick up. He had an odd feeling in his gut, not one of immediate dread, more like something was about happen and he didn't know if it was good or bad yet.

The pulled up in front of the Navy Yard at quarter to one. He send his team straight up while he went to go see Ducky and Abby first.

* * *

><p>"Gibbs!" The bubbly Goth greeted him. "It isn't even my birthday!" She squealed as he entered her lab, a box with evidence from the scene in his arms, on top of it a CafPow!.<p>

"Just for you." He smiled as he put it down of the table behind her.

"Well isn't that nice of you?" She asked. "Is there anything else?"

Gibbs shook his head and exited her lab. "Abbs? Call me as soon as you get anything." He yelled back as he pushed the button for the elevator. He didn't know if she'd heard him though, she'd already turned her music up again. Nevertheless he knew she would always call him first.

He pushed the button for Autopsy and leaned back against the cold metal walls of the elevator for a moment as the doors closed. He wished Grace turned out just like Abby, always happy, joyous. He thought about his family, the two beautiful red-heads. He didn't take them for grated, he didn't allow himself this luxury anymore. He'd lost too much, he'd learned his lesson. He missed Shannon and Kelly in a way, but nonetheless he was happy he got them.

The doors opened, accompanied by the typical _bing_ that announced the arrival of the elevator. Entering the cold, sterile rooms of autopsy Gibbs found Ducky bent over a corpse on one of his metal tables.

"This is Smith?" He asked concerning his new case.

"Not yet. This body belongs to young Christopher. His first case, he just came back last Friday." Ducky told him, still preoccupied with the autopsy he was performing.

"Pacci's back in DC?" Gibbs asked, surprised. He had worked with him and Jenny in 1998 before they were sent to Europe.

"Yeah quite right Jethro. That's what I just told you. I see your hearing still works fine." Ducky said sarcastically.

Gibbs just quirked an eyebrow. "You call me when you start the autopsy on our body?"

"I will do that. Do you remember that time when young Christopher asked Jennifer out on a date and you almost ripped him a new one? If I remember correctly, you and Jennifer weren't even an item back then."

"Well we were half a year later. I just hope for him he won't try again." Gibbs replied grimly.

"That would certainly be a sight I wanted to see. I can still see his face when you strolled into the bull-pen and..."

"Yes Ducky, me too." Was the last the kind doctor heard as the doors closed with a _whoosh_ behind his younger friend. Gibbs looked up and down the hallway before he decided to get a coffee in the break room before he returned to the bull pen. He changed his direction and went to the elevator at the end of the hallway.

* * *

><p>Jenny arrived at the Navy Yard half an hour before her meeting with her boss. To kill time she decided to exit the elevator at the bull pen. Quickly looking around she found the area of the MCRT deserted, just like she hoped it would be. People didn't know about her relationship to Gibbs, let alone their daughter. The rumours which were so prominent in Europe three years ago had long since died down and they wanted to keep it that way.<p>

She exited the elevator with Grace on her hip, earning herself curious stares from the agents around her.

"Jenny? Jenny, that's you?" A young man, about as old as she herself came towards her, his brown hair cut short but she recognized him anyway.

"Chris? Chris Pacci?" She embraced him tightly with her free arm.

"What are you doing here? And who's this little angel here? She looks just like you." Jenny laughed, it was good to see him again.

"I have a meeting with Morrow. And for the little one here, why don't you present yourself sweetie?"

Grace looked a little shyly at the stranger in front of her. "Don't worry, he's a friend of mine and you dad's."

"I know her dad?" Pacci asked as he looked at her again. "It's not..."

"Don't say it Chris. This isn't anybody's business." He nodded understandingly and looked at the small redhead again.

"So who are you beautiful?" He asked again, smiling at the toddler.

"I'm Grace. I'm two." She pronounced clearly.

Paccis laughed appreciatively. "She's definitely a keeper. Damn, I bet her father won't let her out of the house till she's at least forty."

"Well thank god she has me, don't you think sweetie?" Jenny laughed, looking at her daughter again. "Listen Chris, I have to go to Morrow now, but I'll come and catch up with you afterwards, okay?"

Pacci nodded and waved at Grace. "Okay. See you later then."

"See you later Chris."

* * *

><p>She was still about twenty minutes early for her meeting with Morrow, but she figured the sooner she was out there again the higher the chances Jethro and his team wouldn't be back till she was gone again.<p>

"Director Morrow? AD Shepard is here for you." Carrie, Tom's blonde secretary, announced.

"Send her in Carrie." Jenny nodded at the elderly woman behind the desk before she walked into the office.

"Jenny. Let's sit down. How is my favourite little girl?" Morrow asked, looking at Grace.

"She's good. Thanks Tom." She said as she put the toddler down on the floor, letting her explore the office.

"Listen Jenny. I'll make this quick. Homeland Security has offered me a position as Deputy Director and I have taken them up on that offer. I've already talked to SecNav, we agreed that you're the best to head NCIS after I take my new position. You would start in about four weeks."

"Tom, are you sure?" She asked, looking the older man straight into the eyes. "There are so much risks. What if the press found out that you've known me for almost my entire life? Wouldn't that look like favouritism? Or if they found about Gracie? How would it look that the Director of an armed federal agency has a kid with her lead agent?"

"Jenny, I talked to SecNav about all this as _he _suggested your nomination. It doesn't matter. I didn't have anything to do with it and so did Jethro so they can't accuse you of anything."

She looked a little overwhelmed, probably because she was just that.

"You okay Jenny?" Tom asked concerned.

She nodded. "It's just a lot to take in, you know." She admitted. "Can I talk to Jethro about it first?"

"Of course. Take the week to decide what you want. There isn't anything wrong with declining a position either." He smiled at her.

"Thank you Tom. I'll think about it." Jenny smiled as she picked Grace up again.

"Let me walk you to the door." He said as he stood up with her.

"Director." She said politely as he opened the door for her.

"I'll hear from you on Monday next week?"

"Of course Sir." She nodded to Carrie as she exited the outer office, then walked along the catwalk to the elevator that would bring her right to Pacci's desk.

* * *

><p>Jenny exited the elevator in front of Pacci's desk, once again quickly overlooking the bull-pen. <em>Shit, <em>there sat agents in _his _area of the bull-pen. She looked for her silver-haired lover, but didn't found him, a small sigh of relief escaping her.

"So _Jen_ what did Morrow want from you?" Chris asked, a cheeky smile on his face.

"I wouldn't let _him_ hear you say that." She smiled back.

"Still a bit territorial, isn't he? I certainly haven't forgotten the last time I stuck my foot in my mouth yet."

"You could say that." Jenny smiled as she looked down at Grace who squirmed in her arms, begging her to put her down. She obeyed, crouching down in front of the girl. "You stay here with Mommy, okay? You don't run off on me." Grace nodded obediently as Jenny stood up again.

Always keeping an eye on her, she resumed her conversation with Pacci.

* * *

><p>Tony DiNozzo smiled appreciatively as he saw the smokin' hot red-head exiting the elevator. Suddenly he could understand perfectly fine while his boss dated them, the kid on her hip certainly didn't make her less attractive. Almost disappointed he observed as she made her way over to Pacci.<p>

"What are you staring at again Tony?" His brunette partner asked. He just shrugged his shoulders. "What's he staring at McGee?"

"Hot red-head with kid over at Pacci's desk." The young man mumbled before he turned to his computer again. Kate turned around in time to see the red-head putting her likewise red-headed daughter down on the floor. The little girl ran around for a few minutes till she suddenly starred in their direction.

"DADDY!" She screamed, running into their direction. "MOMMY, LOOK, DADDY'S HERE!"

She almost fell over her little feet as she scampered off in the direction of the MCRT, her mother hot on her heels, causing the agents in the bull-pen to stare at them.

"Your secret love child DiNozzo?" Kate asked laughing as the kid kept running towards them.

Eying the mother up and down once again he replied grinning, "I certainly wouldn't mind."

*whack*

"You've better not been sleeping with my woman DiNozzo."

"Your woman Boss?" DiNozzo gulped as he watched incredulously as Gibbs picked the little girl up and spun her around before he turned to her mother and kissed her cheek gently.

"What are you doing here Jen?"

"Jen? That's Jen? If I had known that Boss, I..."

"You want to finish that sentence DiNozzo?" Tony gulped again as he shook his head.

"I thought so. So what brought you here Jen?" Gibbs asked, facing his lover again.

"Tom wanted to see me. He wants to transfer me back to the Navy Yard." She answered.

"Assistant Director? At the Navy Yard?"

"Not exactly. More like your boss." Jenny grinned.

"What?" He asked dumbfounded. Looking from her to the corner office and back to her again. "You serious?"

"Of course I am. Don't you want to present us to your team Jethro?" He looked at his team, only now becoming aware of their curious stares.

"Guys, this is my daughter, Grace-", he ignored their astonished glances, "-and her mother, AD Jennifer Shepard. Jen, those are Special Agents Kate Todd, Tony DiNozzo and Tim McGee."

"Assistant Director as Assistant Director of NCIS?" Tony asked, scrutinizing her again.

"Yeah, right." Jenny said, taking Grace from Gibbs as she ignored his eyes on her chest.

"How old is she?" Kate asked looking at Grace expectantly as the little girl turned to her mother.

"Honey, how old are you?" The red-head asked the toddler gently.

The girl held up her hand, pointing at her two extended fingers. "I'm two" She said smiling, eying the group up.

"Very good Gracie." Gibbs praised, looking at his daughter proudly.

"No you are not, aren't you?" DiNozzo asked suddenly laughing.

"What's so funny DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked sharply.

"Look, Decker, you know that guy that was over in Europe in 2001 and 2002, he told me once you'd knocked your probie up and I said 'No way, he's Gibbs, he wouldn't do that, what about his rules?' and he said 'Believe what you want buddy. It was the joke of the year over there, she's about the most professional woman I've ever seen and she slept with her boss' and laughed as he went away."

"Your point DiNozzo?" Gibbs barked as Jenny looked at him angrily.

"That wasn't you by any point, was it?" Tony laughed, completely missing the looks he was being given.

"Anthony" Ducky suddenly said from behind him. "I told you to never talk about that to anybody."

"You knew about that Duck?" Gibbs asked, looking from Jenny who was still glaring at DiNozzo to his friend.

"Jesus Jethro, everybody who knew you two back in the day knew who was meant when the scuttlebutt reached American soil. Anyway, I was coming to tell you that I finished Smith's autopsy."

"Well, I better get going then. Nice to see you again Ducky. See you at home Jethro." Jenny said kissing the corner of his mouth, ignoring his team's stares. "Say bye-bye to Daddy sweetheart."

"Bye Daddy." Grace waved sweetly before she buried her face in her mother's neck, rubbing her eyes tiredly as Jenny went towards the elevator.

DiNozzo looked at her ass till she was out of his sight, wolf-whisteling appreciatively. "Certainly a good choice Boss."

*whack*

* * *

><p>"So what was your meeting with Morrow this morning really about?"<p>

Jenny turned around, being caught slightly off guard by the question. "Like I said, Tom wants me back at the Navy Yard."

"Well you also said that you would be my boss." Gibbs gave back. He was balancing Grace on his hip while he tried simultaneously to talk to his lover and to fed his daughter whatever vegetables she had to eat.

"Is there any reason why you refuse to believe that?" She gave him her best version of the Gibbs glare. "Other than you can't see your ex-probie bossing you around for everyone else to see?" She added before he could say anything.

Gibbs looked at Jenny, searching her face for any indication that this was a joke. "Mommy's being silly again Gracie. You are lucky you have at least one parent that can seriously focus on a topic for more than five seconds." He said conversationally to the toddler who started to giggle in his arms.

"We certainly weren't talking about sex Jethro." She was still glaring at him from the other end of the room. "Why don't you ask your daughter what Tom's said if you don't believe me?"

"So what did Uncle Tom told your mommy Gracie?" Gibbs asked as he brought another spoonful of vegetables to his daughter's mouth who refused blatantly to swallow yet another bit. Pushing the spoon away from her mouth she glared at her father, a stare similar to the one Jenny was currently sending in his direction, before she answered. "I don't know" she admitted, satisfied grinning as she had momentarily succeeded in avoiding to have to eat her meal.

"Well I think you just have to wait and see then Jethro." Jenny said, turning back to the stove.

"Can't wait then. It certainly would ruin DiNozzo's day." He grinned at the thought of all the head-slaps Tony was sure to get for staring at her 'assets'.

* * *

><p><em>September 20th 2005<em>

Jenny said in the front row of MTAC, watching an OP she and her former partner Ziva David had planned when she had been stationed in Baltimore. She didn't look forward to meeting her again later that day, her half-brother had just attempted to murder an agent of her lover's team and it would be her job to explain to the young Israeli woman why they were hunting down her brother. Luckily Agent Todd wasn't dead and only hospitalized.

She saw Jethro entering the dimly lit room and taking his seat next to Tom Morrow a few rows behind her. She couldn't follow their whispered conversation so instead she focused on the OP again. On the screen their target was being eliminated and the other occupants of the room, agents as well as politicians, shuffled out of the room after having congratulated themselves at their success. They were still whispering, she suspected Morrow hadn't told him he would be leaving NCIS yet.

She tapped impatiently on the floor with her foot while she waited for Tom to give her her clue. The last time she'd been so nervous had been when she'd told Jethro she was pregnant. _That_ had obviously turned out well back then.

"-he's your problem now Director."

Jenny stood up turning around slowly, remembering when they'd been first introduced to each other. She'd turned around like this. Her mind was on everything that had followed that moment, hot nights spend in a small French attic in Marseille, their time in London, Positano, and Serbia, their tiny apartment in Paris, their relationship in Moscow when they'd met again. Grace's birth. Facing him she stared straight into those cobalt blue eyes of his.

"Hello Jethro." She said.

The look on his face was priceless.

**-THE END-**

* * *

><p><em>Thanks to you all for sticking with this story to the end, especially to those who have reviewed or put this story on alert. I greatly appreciate it. <em>

_Please tell me what you think!_


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